Gaslight
by RosemaryTavington
Summary: COMPLETE: Benjamin Martin's oldest daughter, Eliza, saves Tavington's life. He repays her by raiding their home and capturing her. But he got a lot more than he bargained for. Explicit content later.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This will be my second story about The Patriot and especially about the dashing Colonel Tavington. **  
**I am curious to what you all think and if you have any ideas for the story or any suggestions then please let me know! **

Chapter 1: An introduction to the Martin family

Together they walked of the porch, she was wearing a white dress with corset, petticoats and short white sleeves _(like Snow White in the movie Mirror mirror_) and he was wearing his usual working clothes. She had very long light brown hair with shades of red. Some parts were braided and neatly put together on the back of her head but most of her hair was hanging loosely and falling down to her waist.  
Benjamin Martin was walking slightly behind his oldest daughter who was now almost 23. As he looked at her he felt a father's pride of how beautiful she had become. Even though they adopted her when she was already 15, it had always felt as if she was one of their own. She was their oldest daughter and when his wife Elizabeth had died five years ago, the children turned to their oldest sister for motherly advice and comfort. Eliza had suffered a hard blow from the death of the only mother she had ever known, but she wanted to stay strong for the children so she could be their rock. Elizabeth had been her mother for 5 years before she died from lung disease and Benjamin had been her father. They never treated her any different than their own children. Their life was peaceful and quiet except for Gabriel leaving to fight the war in the continental army, which was now two years ago. And little did they know the war was almost at their doorstep which would change their lives irreversibly…

"Did you remember to wrap the presents?" he asked his oldest daughter as he followed her out of the house.

"Yes father" she answered him as they continued to walk of the porch towards her black horse.

The stable boy was holding the reins whilst she climbed on top of it and put on her yellow cloak and gloves.

Her father sighed. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather go on side saddle?" he said as he noticed how unfeminine this looked on her, especially since she was wearing her only party dress which her aunt Charlotte gave her when they visited her in Charles Town.

"You know I would rather not" she chuckled at him.

He frowned at her, his face showing signs of worry "Maybe Joseph should go with you to escort you, just until you reach…"

"Until I reach the Garrick's plantation and then escort me back after the party? Father do not worry so much it is only two miles from here! And I will be home before dark" she tried to reassure him.

"Well, okay, but be careful and remember to thank mister and misses Garrick for their generous invitation and also do not forget that you're a 22 year old woman, so do not take their boys for some tree climbing this time okay?"

"Alright, it's time to go father, I will see you tonight, I love you and I'll be back soon because I did not even want to go to this party" she said as she took the reins to take off.

"You should be thankful they still invite you after your last visit when you went for a swim in the river by their house!" he called after her as he let out a small laugh at the memory of how clumsy she ended up in the river whilst trying to catch a fish.

"I was just trying to cool off!" she replied, but she was now too far off for him to hear what she said. But he was sure it was some sassy remark since she was a real smart mouth, though never disrespectful to anyone.

* * *

When Eliza had just reached the road which led past her house, she saw a brown horse, but no rider, next to the little creak surrounded by trees. This was strange. The horse did definitely not belong to their farm for she would recognize him if he did. She looked around the trees and bushes to see if anyone was there, perhaps just a stranger passing by and the horse needed to drink.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called out to check if the horse had an owner.

When no reply came, Eliza got off her horse to see what was going on. This horse was obviously a war horse, it was wearing the colors of the British army so Eliza slowly drew herself nearer to the creak. Reluctantly she let herself slide down near the creak and walked around some trees until she saw a pair of boots behind one of them.

She slightly forced her head to move so she could see what was behind the tree. She was startled by the sight.

A man was lying on the ground, a redcoat even. He was bleeding through his white linen shirt and waistcoat. His hair was long and a darker color brown than her own hair. Judging by the look on his face he was in great pain.

"Oh my God…" she whispered


	2. A wounded Colonel

**AN: Thank you Niki for the first review!**

* * *

When she saw how heavily wounded the soldier was, Eliza rushed towards him and dropped to her knees to check out his wounds. He was leaning into a tree and there was a lot of blood coming from a wound which was on the side of his chest near his left arm. She rushed to her horse to get some medical supplies from her saddle bags. She wanted to open up his waist coat but the soldier tried to push her away.

"Sir, can you hear me? You are wounded and I am trying to help you so we need to get you out of this coat so I can tend to your wounds okay?"

"I can hear you perfectly fine" he snapped at her, but when he moved his muscle he flinched in pain.

"Listen, I can help you but if you rather lie here all day and die of infection or serious blood loss then be my guest! Now lay still and let me help you!" she snapped back at him.

For a moment or two they gave each other an angry look and Eliza noticed how icy blue his eyes were. As if they were just piercing through her soul. Then she attempted again to take off his coat and this time he did not resist.

"I need to remove your shirt also" she said as he watched her take out a small knife from her boots.

"Do all females carry around knifes where you come from?" he frowned at her.

"Does it matter?" she replied, annoyance clearly showing in her voice, whilst taking of his shirt to take a better look at his wound.

"Okay, there is still a bullet in your wound but it's not in very deep. I have nothing to numb the pain with and only alcohol to clean the wound. It will hurt a lot, so brace yourself".

He said nothing when she cleaned the wound with some cloth and alcohol. When she took the bullet out he growled in pain, but she simply ignored his evil glares.

"Press this cloth tightly to the wound while I'll wrap you up in bandages".

Eliza used a clean cloth and put some ointment on it to press to the wound. She couldn't help but notice how broad his chest was and how muscular his shoulders were as she tried her hardest not to touch him whilst she bandaged him around his chest. She tried to shake the thoughts off her. It wasn't like she had never seen a half-naked man before… Just this British soldier in particular happened to be very handsome even when he was covered in blood.

_Stop staring at his chest like that! He is a redcoat! _She tried to correct herself.

She had learned a lot of medical expertise from her grandfather who was a doctor and taught her everything he knew. She even worked in her own little apothecary at home where she made her own medication. She had patched people up before, it was one of the easiest jobs ever, but the sight of his broad shoulders and chest made her feel a little bit… uneasy. The fact that he stared at her the entire time as she tried to help him, really didn't help much either.

"What is your name miss?" he asked her as she finished bandaging him and continued to clean the blood from his chest.

"Eliza" she replied as she tried to hide from his fierce gaze by staring at the blood she was cleaning off.

"And your family name?" he continued his questioning.

"I do not believe I should tell you that sir" she stated determinedly.

He gave her an amused look. _Witty young lady _he thought to himself.

"And why is that may I ask?"

"Because you are a soldier in his Majesty's army and my family…" she paused for a second

"Are patriots?" he finished her sentence as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Sort of… it's not… well it's more difficult than that" she replied.

"It seems that we are enemies then miss Eliza" he told her mockingly. "What makes you tend to the wounds of your enemies?"

"Even if we are enemies, and I do not share your view in this matter, why should I not help another human being who is in great pain?".

She paused for a second.

"And, what is your name sir?"

"I am Colonel William Tavington, commander of the Green Dragoons" he answered as he watched her reaction closely.

Her body froze for a few seconds and she blinked her eyes. She looked up at him, at first fear was showing in her eyes but she soon realized how she still had the upper hand so her gaze softened as she looked at him. Then she continued to clean the blood of his hands and check for more wounds.

"It seems you just realized why you should not always help another human being who is in great pain. You seem shocked to hear who I am" the Colonel said.

"Well Colonel, Let's just say that…, never have I been more content with the decision to not give a man my last name" she replied coldly.

He smirked. "Do you honestly think I would harm you or your family after what you have just done for me?" he tried in a smooth voice.

"Yes I do, because I do not know you nor do I trust you. You are very famous here in the Colonies… for your war tactics. They call you the Butcher" she answered him.

"Well miss Eliza" he said as he moved his face closer to hers "Maybe you should do your people a favor and stab me in the heart with that knife of yours" he smirked at her. She could feel his breath on her lips.

For a second she was drawn into his impelling gaze. She tore her gaze from his, got up and walked over to the creak to fill her flask with water. When she walked back to the Colonel she kneeled down next to him and emptied the flask over his hands which were still covered in blood. He flinched. Eliza took his way bigger hand in her small left hand and started cleaning it with some clean cloth.

"But then all my work would have been for nothing Colonel, can you imagine how counterproductive that would be?" she replied to him as she gave him a sarcastic smirk.

She cleaned his hands and noticed a nasty cut on the inside of his right hand.

"How did you get this cut?" she asked him.

"I fought off a sword with that hand" he replied.

"Because you lack the knowledge on how to use your own sword?" she replied ironicly as she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Maybe you shouldn't smart mouth me now that you know who I am" he glared at her evilly.

Ignoring his remark she got some salve, needle and thread from her aid kit.

"Since you are obviously right handed you will probably need this hand. The cut is deep so bandaging it will just make you open up the wound every time you use it. I'll stich you up first" she told him.

Eliza started rubbing some salve on the inside of his hand. It was cooling and her gentle touch made him shiver.

"What's that salve your rubbing on it?"

"It's a poisonous ointment which will make you feel like you're burning from the inside after which you will slowly and most painfully die" she answered him most seriously. Then she let out a small giggle which he returned by raising his eyebrow.

"It's a salve made of medicinal herbs which will make it heal three times as fast and it will relieve you from the pain" she replied as she gently rubbed the salve on the inside of his right hand.

"You are hilarious" he replied slightly sarcastic.

"Why, thank you" she answered most sweetly.

He watched her work in silence, first rubbing the ointment on his hand. He noticed how gentle her touch felt on his skin. Then he watched as she stitched him up, sometimes checking his face if it didn't hurt too much but he did not plan on showing signs of pain even when he did experience some. When she was done she bandaged his hand as he wondered why this young woman was doing all this. If her family really was Patriotic, why was she helping a Redcoat? If he was in her position, she would have stabbed him a dozen times by now and dumped his body in the creak.

He had long noticed she was quite a beauty but the longer he stared at her the more he started to notice her features. Her skin was pale, her body slim and she had big light green eyes and long hair which fell all the way down to her hips. Her light brown hair was thick and when the sun touched it, it seemed like a light ruby color appeared. In England women would never wear their hair like this, it would be considered improper or even promiscuous. Her beautiful white dress was all muddy and covered in his blood stains but she didn't seem to care like a normal woman would.

"Why do you wear your hair like that?" he bluntly asked her.

Not the least surprised by his rudeness anymore she simply answered "Because I was on my way to a party on another plantation, that's why I am wearing this silly dress".

"It looks lovely, well at least, it used to until you started working on my wounds down here in the mud" he said as he flinched in pain when a small laugh came out of him.

"You are either in pain because you stretched your muscle when you laughed or because you are such a serious man who never laughs that it must have hurt your soul when you just allowed yourself to have fun" she said as she got up from the ground to stand in front of him.

The Colonel gave her a smirk. "Well I am sincerely sorry to ruin your party dress" he said as he eyed her up and down, checking out her curves but instead pretending to watch the dirt and blood on her dress.

"No problem Colonel, you did me a favor actually, I never wanted to go to this party so I should be thanking you for almost dying in front of my doorstep" she replied.

"Mmm yes, I should be thanking you should I not? Miss Eliza, I am grateful you saved my life and if there is ever anything I can do for you, you know where to find me" he said as he tried to stand up, but he had lost so much blood that he could hardly stand up straight.

"Colonel, you can hardly walk, I will bring you your horse and ride with you towards your camp just to be sure you arrive in one piece" she said in a determined voice.

Eliza took his brown horse, which was still tight to the tree a few feet away from them. While she helped the Colonel with his waist coat she tried not to touch his chest with her fingers. When her fingers did touch his chest she felt as if her skin was on fire, and he seemed to notice this also. He quickly shook the thoughts of him. _Get over yourself William, this is the result of not being with a woman for two month's! _He thought to himself_._

After she helped him climb on the horse she asked "Ready to go Colonel?"


	3. Bring him home

**AN: Thank you for the reviews again! **  
**I definitely wondered why Eliza would carry all that medical stuff around too. I hope this explains it! :-)**

* * *

"So how far off is your camp Colonel?" she asked him after a little while.

"Why do you ask? Do you have someone waiting for you at home?" he replied as he raised his eyebrow.

"Yes actually, my father who I promised to be home before dark" she responded as she rolled his eyes at him. This man was definitely not the most friendly of their kind. But then again, this was the notorious Butcher of the Carolina's and she did not plan on forgetting it. She would simply 'deliver' him at his post and make her way home as quick as possible. And in the meantime she would think about how she would tell father about what she did.

"I see… I can only imagine that a father would not like his children running around outside in these dangerous times, our camp is about 4 miles from here" he said.

Eliza didn't think the Colonel had a family waiting for him at home, and seeing his reaction; she was right. A warm and loving family to take care of and to be taken care of... No, he didn't seem to have encountered that kind of luck yet. She almost started feeling sorry for the man and quickly brought her thoughts back to reality. He noticed she was staring at him with a puzzled look.

"Is it your habit to stare at people miss Eliza?" he asked in an annoyed voice.

"You know Colonel, it wouldn't hurt you to be a bit more polite. I was told British people are known for their protocol and polite behavior during social contact. But so far, you have gravely disappointed me" she chuckled.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what exactly Colonel? Make jokes?"

"I have not encountered a lot of women who speak their minds so freely and laugh everything off" he replied grumpily.

"Mmm… I don't know why I do that, it just makes me feel better about everything. Pardon my French but when the world goes to hell all I can do is humor it. I guess it's my philosophy" she answered.

He said nothing and just gave her a strange look. He had to admit, she greatly amused him with her jokes and light sarcasm. But it was the first time he had encountered this in a woman. He definitely wasn't fond of the airheads back in London but this woman almost seemed to be from another world. She was so free-spirited and outgoing. He was sure not all the colonial women were like this. She didn't seem to care about her dress or hair and he was tempted to ask if maybe she had been raised by a pack of wolves.

"You think me abnormal?" she stated. It was hardly a question.

"I thought you to be abnormal the minute I realized that you were saving my life" he said as he suppressed a chuckle which made him flinch in pain again.

"We should stop for a minute so you can drink something. You've suffered serious blood loss and won't make the 4 miles unless you consume something" she stated in a determined voice as she brought her horse closer to his, took his reins and stopped both horses next to each other. Their legs mildly touched and they both noticed the tention as they looked up to eachother. She pulled out a flask of water from her bags and handed it to him.

"You carry a lot of stuff" he simply stated.

"In case of emergencies like these" she replied as she handed him the water.

"Do you encounter a lot of these emergencies?" he curiously enquired.

"Yes. You were definitely not my first!" she enthusiastically answered. As soon as she realized what she just said her eyes widened and she quickly turned her face away from him.

"This might sound strange to you, but I'm a doctor" she replied after a few moments of silence.

"You are a woman…" he simply stated.

"My grandfather was a doctor and he taught me everything he knew. I've been too school, studied Latin and learned from books about how to make medicine and potions. In the area I live I am the only doctor around. When someone's child is in danger people don't care what your genitalia looks like". She bluntly answered him, slightly insulted by his statement as if a woman was inferior to a man.

_Must be a cultural difference, stupid Brits_, she thought.

_I cannot believe she just said_ that Tavington thought to himself.

As they went on the conversations started to become less awkward. Mainly because Eliza just asked whatever was on her mind. She got the Colonel to talk about his career and his motives of joining the army, she was right about him not having a family but he did have two younger brothers. He didn't tell her anything about his parents so she decided it was best not to dig any deeper into that topic. The Colonel noticed that this young lady was used to speaking her mind and it even opened up a dialogue about their different perspectives in politics. He wasn't used to talking so openly about these topics, especially with a woman who had different perspectives than he did. But he did not dislike it. For some reason it felt as if he could just talk about anything with her. Which scared him greatly.

"And your father and mother?" he asked.

"My father was an officer in the continental army during the French Indian war. After he came home he decided to never go to war again. And when my mother died he put all his energy in making the plantation successful and taking care of his family".

"So he is not fighting right now?" he asked her.

"No he is not. He has a big family to take care of since my mother died 5 year ago." she stated determinedly.

"You must have been frightened to never see your father again during that war" he inquired.

Eliza remained silent for a while.  
She wasn't a very good liar…

"I wasn't part of the family yet Colonel. They adopted me when I was 15" she answered him honestly but slightly embarrassed.

He kept silent for a while. Their conversation had been extremely open till now. He was crossing a border he should not be crossing but he was very curious about this woman. She was adopted by her family… so where was her real family?

"Tell me your tale of woe" he ordered her.

"My tale of woe?" she asked as she gave him a confused look.

"Every person has one, and yours in particular I find intriguing. I am usually good a reading people, but so far you have done nothing but surprise me." he stated.

Eliza stared in front of her, she could see a soldiers camp._ It must be the redcoat camp!_ _Saved!_

"Is that your camp Colonel?"

"Mmm it seems to be so, yes. Time flies when one is having fun. I guess I could always take you hostage and question you some more since you decided to not tell me more about you" he said as an evil smirk appeared on his face.

"But you cannot Colonel" she answered him.

"And why is that?" he said as he raised his eyebrow.

"Because…" she said as she turned around her black horse and faced him "You are still in a lot of pain so I am leaving quickly now".

And with that Eliza quickly galloped homewards. Although the Colonel had warmed up to her, and the conversations they had were pleasant, he was still a redcoat and 'The Butcher' and therefore couldn't be trusted. She needed to get home as quick as possible.

She was right, Tavington did not have the strength to follow her. But he had a gut feeling this wouldn't be the last time he would see this girl.


	4. The good life?

**AN: Whenever I start working on an idea like this, I start writing like a mad man but as the story continues I will become slower ;-) And in the weekends I usually don't have time to write.** **Just so you know! **

"Father? Are you in here?" she called out as she walked into the shed.

" I'm the back, how was the pa…" he couldn't finish his sentence as he turned around and saw the state she was in.

_Blood._

_Mud._

_They hurt her. I should have never let her go._

_"_What have they done to you…" he gasped as his brown eyes widened in shock.

"No, father It's okay, I wasn't hurt" she quickly explained.

_And now for the hardest part…_

"But… I've done something so incredibly stupid I fear you'll never forgive me father…" she said as her eyed filled with tears.

Benjamin Martin quickly walked towards his daughter to take her in his arms. And that's when she started sobbing. It wasn't just the fear of her father's judgment, it was also the tension she had built up inside her ever since she found out who's life she was saving. She had been afraid of that man.

_Fear._

_Attraction._

_Guilt._

_In that order…_

"No problem can't be solved child, tell me what happened" he said as he softly patted her back.

He lead her towards his newly made rocking chairs but then decided it was best to seek different seating possibilities.

"Sit down and tell me what happened" he said as he placed her on a small bench and took place next to her.

She wiped away her tears with her hands and took a deep breath.

" I was only just on my way to the Garrick's plantation when I saw an abandoned horse near the creak. So I dismounted my horse to see what had happened. Then I found a wounded soldier and he was in dire need of help. He had a bullet wound and a bad cut from a sword. I took out the bullet, bandaged and cleaned him up. But he was not a colonial father, it was a British soldier in his Majesty's army" she finished her sentence softly and a few tears started floating from her eyes. She quickly swallowed to stop herself from crying again.

"Eliza you did good. You cannot just let a heavily wounded soldier die on the side of the road when you're capable of helping him" Benjamin said as he tried to reassure his daughter she did the right thing.

"But father… there is more… this wasn't just a soldier. The man I helped… it was… was Colonel William Tavington, commander of the Green Dragoons…" she said as she looked up to her father to see his reaction.

"The Butcher…" he whispered.

"I know! Father I am so, so sorry! I know I should have stabbed him when I had the…"

Benjamin quickly interrupted her.

"No Eliza, it is not for you and I to pass judgment on their soldiers. No matter who it was. Only God can judge this man and no one would ever ask of you to take the life of a helpless man. That would make you no better than him. Maybe your kindness has shown him different ways and so your deed might have saved many lives" he said as he hugged her tightly.

He softly stroke her hair and kissed her forehead. "Now let's get you inside so you can clean up. And we best keep this happening a secret so your aunt won't be too disappointed about what you did to this beautiful dress" he said as he chuckled at her state of appearance.

* * *

That night Eliza got the girls ready for bed. She brushed their hair, had a tickle fight and were read a story of their choice.

"When will Gabriel be home Eliza?" Margaret asked her older sister.

"I don't know sweetheart, but at least we know he is still alive since he has been sending us letters" she tried to reassure them. But the truth was, they did not know for sure if Gabriel was still alive and she wished he would come home soon. The war got closer to their doorstep every day.

Susan didn't speak yet so she just reached out her little hands to Eliza, lightly pulled her hair and giggled. Eliza smiled back at her and kissed both their cheeks.

"There's two kisses for the both of you, that should get you through the night" she said as she stroke their hair.

"Sweet dreams you two" she said as she quietly walked out of the door and went to check on the younger boys. William, Samuel and Nathan were being helped by Abigail to get ready for bed and she wished them goodnight also. Thomas was still playing with his tin soldiers downstairs. She chuckled as she walked up to him in the living room.

"You just can't wait to get out there can you?" she asked him with a slight ironic voice.

"I just don't understand father, why can't I go now? It's been two years!" he answered her grumpily.

"Thomas, You are fifteen…"

"I want to fight for the cause and if necessary, die for it! Just like Gabriel is…" he replied.

"You think such an death would be honorable Thomas?" she asked her younger brother.

He didn't answer.

"Because it's not you know, it's horrible, all the blood, pain and…"

"What do you know! You're a woman, women don't fight wars"

"Because we're not foolish enough to start them either. And besides… I've seen more blood, illness and death in my life than you can ever hope for. And I can tell you, there is nothing honorable about it" she said as she walked out of the dining room and left Thomas to play with his tin soldiers. She then walked unto the porch where her father was staring into the distance. Miles away they could hear the thunder of cannonballs. It wasn't too loud so the fight was still far away from their home. At least far enough for now.

"They are all in bed and Thomas is in the living room dreaming about the good life" she rolled her eyes as she sat down next to her father and stared into the distance with him.

Benjamin sighed. "So he still wants to be a soldier…"

"So it seems. Let us hope this war will be over two years from now" Eliza replied quietly.

"Yes, let us hope so" Benjamin confirmed her words.


	5. So this is how you repay me?

**AN: Oooh I just found some dumb spelling mistakes (I am Dutch, not English!). "Creek" is not written as "creak" and Google is asking me if I mean "crack"… lol. Jeeez mister Google, stereotype much?**

One week later Gabriel came home. The battle had been so close to their home that Gabriel, who was wounded and longed to see his family, just stepped in one night. Benjamin, who thought his son was an intruder, had already pulled his gun on him. But as soon as Gabriel turned around and almost fell to the ground, his father dropped his gun to catch him. The children were brought to bed as Benjamin and Eliza took care of Gabriel. Whilst they took care of his wounds Gabriel told them about the last battle he had been in.

"As I left, I saw the Virginia Regulars surrender… the Dragoons rode into them… killed them all… over 200 men" Gabriel said.

Benjamin looked up at his daughter, her eyes showed guilt. He slightly shook his head as if he wanted to say 'it's not your fault'. Gabriel wanted to leave to get his dispatches to Hillsborough but his father told him he was in no condition to ride. And so he stayed the night. The sounds of cannonballs were coming from behind their fields. Coming closer and closer.

"There will be a lot of wounded soldiers who need care, I'll prepare everything so we can start." Eliza told her father.

Her father nodded as he walked outside to witness the battle. It was taking place in their fields now. As soon as it was over he woke up his workers and took them and his sons into the fields to collect the living. They worked on taking care of them all night long and most of them looked as if they would make it, hopefully to get home someday. They took care of redcoats and colonials. It was a strange sight, those men lying around on their porch and in the garden. None of them fighting or arguing even though they were on opposite sides. There were mostly young men, too busy trying to survive so politics didn't matter any longer.

When Eliza looked out of the window she saw an entire regiment of redcoats coming towards their house. They were walking through their fields, it must have been at least 100 men walking up to their house. An officer who looked like a Lieutenant stepped onto their porch. Eliza kept eyeing the situation from the window. The lieutenant thanked their father for taking care of their soldiers.  
Just as her father wanted to reply, a group of at least 30 horsemen rode up to the house. British cavalry. Almost everyone got up to see who was nearing their place of harbor.

Eliza's eyes widened in shock. It was him… The Colonel… it was the Butcher.  
She quickly tried to calm down her breathing so she could make her way to the door.

_Maybe he will be merciful, we have done nothing wrong and I did safe his life!_

The Colonel gave a halt sign when they were just in front of the porch. First he ordered the Lieutenant to make sure the British wounded soldiers were taken to Winnsboro. And then…

"Fire the house and barns, let be known if you harbor the enemy, you will lose your home" the Colonel ordered.

Just as the Colonel ordered for all the slaves to be taken to fight for the crown, Eliza walked outside onto the porch and took place next to her younger siblings. One of the men tried to explain they weren't slaves, they were free men, but it was of no use. They would be taken to fight for the crown.

Just as he turned his face away from this discussion he saw her.

_Her? Eliza… So this is her home… if only she had come out sooner _he thought

She just stood there. In a simple dark ruby dress with short white sleeves and a bodice. Her loose hair reaching down to her waist. Her arms around her younger sisters who looked frightened. She looked at him with big eyes and for a moment he felt guilt. If only he had known she lived here… But he had already ordered to fire the place and there was no way of going back without losing face

He was quickly pulled from his trail of thoughts when a redcoat brought him Gabriel's dispatches.  
Everyone waited in agony for the Colonel's reaction.

"Who carried these?" he simply asked.

Benjamin signaled Gabriel to keep quiet. When no one answered the Colonel raised his voice in anger: "Who carried this!".

And that's when Gabriel stepped forward. "I did sir, I was wounded, these people gave me care, they have nothing to do with the dispatches" he explained, trying to keep his family out of the matter.

Benjamin and Eliza both took a few steps forward to see what the Colonel would do and perhaps intervene when needed. And then Benjamin's nightmare suddenly became reality…

"Take this one to Camden, he is a spy. Hang him, put his body on display" the Colonel ordered.

Eliza wanted to do something but her father beat her to it.

"He is a dispatch rider! And that's a marked case!" he called out to the Colonel in an attempt to reason with him.

But the Colonel simply ignored him.

"Destroy the life stock, save the horses for the Dragoons" he continued to order the destroy of their lives.

Eliza couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had saved this bastards life and wasn't just going to let this happen. She walked up to the Colonel, swallowing hard and trying to calm down her heavy breathing.

"Colonel, this is an uniformed dispatch rider carrying a marked case, he cannot be held as a spy" she told the Colonel as he eyed her up and down.

_She's quite a beauty, even for a Colonial _he thought.

His eyes showed that he recognized her. And how could he not, it was only a week ago and he would definitely not forget about this particular young lady... Her defiance amused him greatly and for a moment he thought maybe they could make a certain deal... But he quickly waved the thought away. He was an officer and there was a duty to be done.

"Well, we are not going to hold him, we are going to hang him" the Colonel sardonically answered her as he smiled at her evilly.

Her father tried once more: "Colonel"

"Father" Gabriel whispered and that's when Benjamin knew it would not work out for the best. Now the Colonel knew they were family.

"Oh, I see, he is your son. Well, perhaps you should have taught him something of loyalty" he said.

"Colonel, I beg you, please reconsider, by the rules of war…" her father tried to reason with him once more but the Colonel was tired of people telling him how to act in times of war. Who were these people to tell him! He pulled out his gun and aimed it at Benjamin.

"By the rules of war? Would you like a lesson sir, in the rules of war?" when he saw it had no effect he moved his gun over to the children. "Or perhaps your children would?" the Colonel finished his sentence.

Benjamin rushed over to stand in front of his children as Eliza froze in one spot, still next to the Colonel's horse. She couldn't believe what was happening. How could he do this after what she had done for him...

"No lesson is necessary!" her father quickly said and the Colonel put away his gun.

Eliza's eyed slowly filled themselves with tears as she realized this was really happening and there was nothing she could do. She looked up at the Colonel, the same Colonel she had once thought to be attractive and not as bad as everyone said… the same Colonel's who's life she should have taken when she had the chance. She slowly moved her head to look up at him and she noticed he was staring down at her. As they made eye contact Eliza thought to see some sign of remorse but it quickly made room for his arrogant smirk again.

"So this is how you repay me" she softly whispered so only he would hear.

"I am ever so sorry, my dear" he answered her quietly. And he meant it, if only he had known she lived here… If only he had known that the rebel boy was her brother…

"If I had known that…"

"Oh save it" she baldly cut him off.

His apology made her feel disgusted, mainly with herself and the fact she felt as if she could have prevented all of this. The Lieutenant interrupted their secret conversation by asking what to do with the colonial soldiers.

_There is nothing I can do for her, but perhaps if I…_

"Nothing, just leave them here to rot" the Colonel answered.

Benjamin turned around to try and calm the younger children as Gabriel was being taken away by two redcoats. Thomas told his father to do something but his father told him to be quiet. He would only make things worse if he wasn't. But Thomas had no intention of staying quiet and letting the soldiers take his older brother so easily. Without thinking he pulled a small knife from his boot, took a step forward… then another one… and then he rushed into the soldiers to free his brother. Eliza saw her brother storming forward, trying to fight off the soldiers and telling Gabriel to run. It was foolish… where would they run to?

The Colonel saw it too. The boy had a knife so the Colonel pulled out his gun.

Eliza ran after her brother and just as she reached him to push him to the ground, a shot rang out.

The Colonel had fired at Thomas.

The bullet was pushed off by Eliza's shoulder who fell to the ground, bleeding. Thomas and Gabriel both screamed in horror as Benjamin caught his oldest daughter. He held her tightly against him and looked up at the monster who did this to his family. The Colonel feared the consequences of what he had just done, but he restrained himself and he kept his face steady.

"Foolish girl" he answered Benjamin's look of desperation.

"Lieutenant, bring her back to camp and make sure she is treated. I have use for her later" the Colonel ordered his Lieutenant.

"Captain" the Colonel said to let his captain know they were moving out.

Eliza was still conscious as she was being loaded onto the cart… She knew where she was going, a redcoat camp where she would have to deal with this Colonel again.

From her view on the cart she could see the flames arising from their house.

_Their home._

_Her family._

_Gabriel._

Everything around her turned blurry. The sounds. The colors. The smell of her own blood. It all seemed so far away. After a minute of staring at the sky, everything around her changed into darkness and she couldn't fight to keep her eyes open any longer. Everything turned black.

**AN: Yes I know, I know, I have changed the events of the movie mildly and will probably continue to do so just to keep possible romances realistic.**

**So tell me what you think so far, I can take it ;-)**


	6. The lion's nest

When Eliza finally woke up she didn't immediately remember where she was. She slowly looked around the room she had been placed in and flashes of her memory came back to her. The Colonel. The flames. Gabriel.  
She was sore and noticed someone had cut open the sleeves of her dress to patch up her wounded shoulder. _That better have been a woman… _She looked around the room to see where she was. It was a tent, a redcoat tent seeing as there was a small desk and a chair with a British soldier's waistcoat on it. She was lying on a cot, covered with a blanket which was way too warm for this time of year. Filled with frustration and spite she kicked the blanket off her. When she looked next to her she saw a tray with food and water on it.

_As if I'm going to eat their food… It's probably poisoned._

She closed her eyes again trying to fight off an upcoming headache. But as soon as she heard someone enter the tent she quickly opened them up and tried to sit up straight. Ready to fight off anyone who tried to hurt her.

Unexpected as it was, a friendly and unfamiliar face walked in.

"Miss Eliza, I see you are awake and let me start by apologizing for the distress we have put you in…" the man started, but Eliza cut him off.

"Why don't you start by telling me who you are because right now I feel like scratching out the eyes of anyone who comes too close" she answered, filled with rage and frustration over the helpless position she found herself in.

"I am Captain Bordon of the Green Dragoons. I serve under Colonel Tavington who has asked me to check on you and to see if the food is alright".

"Why don't you ask the food itself? Because I'm not touching it!".

"I see…" he paused for a second and thought of ways to make this conversation more pleasant "Miss, you have to believe me when I say I very much understand the situation you find yourself in…"

"YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING! You bastards came to my house, burned everything down and took my brother to hang him! So don't you dare come to me and tell me about my goddamn feelings because you don't know what you are speaking off Captain Bordon of the Green Dragoons!" she spoke the last bit with as much loathing as she possibly could.

"Miss..."

"Did your superior tell you how we met before?" she asked in him as she narrowed her eyed at him.

"WELL? DID HE?" she pushed when he didn't answer.

Bordon was ashamed to admit that he did know. When Tavington had come back, wounded but neatly patched up, he immediately went to lie down and told Bordon everything. How he met a charming young lady who surprisingly enough was a beautiful colonial and still mindset on tending to his wounds even after she found out who he was. But he didn't know who she was or where she lived, and so one week later they raided a random home when they went searching for the wounded British soldiers. Colonel Tavington and Captain Bordon were not only both soldiers in war, they had been close friends for almost 20 years now, both serving in the same regiment since they were 17. So yes, Bordon knew the situation inside out.

"The Colonel is not as bad as he seems miss… he is just.."

"That will be all Bordon" Tavington interrupted him as he fiercely stepped into the tent, obviously trying to intimidate those around him.

"What state is she in?" the Colonel quietly asked Bordon.

"She reminds me of a wild cat, arisen from the fiery pits of hell" Bordon answered him in a whisper and then left the tent.

Colonel Tavington slowly turned around and walked over to the cot where Eliza was lying down. Her hair was spread out of the pillow and she was still wearing the same cloths which were now soiled by blood and dirt.

"Have you eaten anything my dear?" he asked her as he looked down at her.

"I refuse to touch your food" she simply said and refused to make eye contact.

"Ah, How proud you are… well, we'll just have to do something about that won't we?" he said as he smirked at her.

"Like what? Shove it down my throat will you?" she asked in an sarcastic voice as she stared in front of her angrily.

"Don't tempt me love, that's almost too wicked to resist" he said as she smirked at her.

They both kept quiet for a while. Staring daggers at each other. At least she did at him, he just smirked back at her as if he was having the time of his life.

"Who's bed am I lying on?" she asked him after a while.

"It's a cot and it's mine" he answered.

"I'm lying in your bed?"

"Cot. You are lying on my cot. You prefer the comfort of solid ground then I take it?" he asked as he raised his eyebrows at her.

"Don't get me started again Colonel, you know perfectly well it's not okay for me to be here, when can I go home?"

"Mmm I have not thought about that yet miss Eliza, I think I will keep you here for a while" he answered her, amused by her baldness.

"I am not a prisoner of war! You have no right to keep me here! I have done nothing wrong! I was good to you and you repay me by raiding my house, capturing my brother and…"

"Yes, about that" he interrupted her "I have some 'good' news for you. Your brother has been freed it seems. The caravan which escorted him was attacked and he is now on the loose. I haven't got the details yet but it seems that your little rebel brother is safe from me" he sighed as he finished his sentence.

"You mean Gabriel is still alive?" her eyes widened as she heaved a sigh and almost smiled.

"Yes, do you have any other questions for me whilst I am here?"

She thought about it for a second.

"Who opened up my dress to patch up my wound?" she timidly asked him.

He said nothing for a while and just stared at her. She started to get nervous, _please tell me he didn't… and not any other man either please…_

"It was a female servant who patched you up together with our head doctor mister Crawley" he finally put her out of her distress. "Speaking of doctor Crawley… You are to refresh yourself and if you are able to stand up, which you are after I have forced fed you, you are to report to him and help him with the wounded soldiers".

"Why would I do that? Last time I helped you I ended up in this lion's nest" she spat back at him.

She was absolutely pushing him to his limits. He rushed over to her cot, seized her wrist and yanked it hard so she had to get up. Facing him now, he brought his face close to hers and whispered:

"Because if you don't I will make you go to a place where this lions nest seem like a pretty flower garden filled with beautiful butterflies" he said through his gritted teeth. "So refresh yourself, eat this food and report to doctor Crawley, you will find him in the 5th tent on the left when you walk out of this one" after finishing his sentence he let let go of her arm and stormed out of his tent. _Who does she think she is? Has she no clue how to address a high ranking officer? Insufferable little brat. I will break her spirits and she will obey me!  
_


	7. Two sides to every colonel

**AN: I might have to lay low til June 20th but I am not sure. Because I reeeeaaally need to prepare the presentation/defending of my thesis. And after that I am all yours! lol... strange strange thoughts**

And so Eliza did as she was told. Mainly because she was scared of Tavington's threat. What did he mean by "A place which makes this lion's nest look like a pretty garden"? _What can it mean? Is he planning on torturing me? Or maybe killing me if I don't obey. Or… rape…? He wouldn't! Would he?  
_She decided it was best to just do as he said so no harm would come to her. He seemed not to care she saved his life once, he really was the famous butcher and precisely as bad as he looked like. _Well, he doesn't 'look' bad but.. Okay Eliza, do NOT think like that, not about him! About anyone but him!  
_  
She refreshed herself, combed her hair and let it hang down her back, tied in a long braid though a few strings at the front escaped. Then she put on clean clothes which were laid out for her. A servant had brought four sets of clothing. She chose a clean white underdress and, seeing as she felt depressed, the black dress with the black bodice. At the top you could still see the white sleeves of her underdress. So it wasn't all black. She was afraid she'd have to wear strange English corsets but she guessed they were only for lady's and not for medic's and servants. Then she reported to doctor Crawley.

"Ah you must be the young miss Eliza, I've been told you know a lot more than a common medic or nurse. That's good because I do not have the time nor patience to teach or show you around. We are short on doctors at the moment so it's good you are here. You're first task is this heavily wounded soldier" he said as he pointed out the soldier which was lying on the cot in front of them.

"Well? What are you waiting for? I have more things to do than stand here all day, go and help him, I will be somewhere around if you need me which I hope you won't" he said as he left the tent.

_Nice man, not grumpy at all, handles pressure very well… _

She started working on the soldier quickly. He had a bullet in his chest which she took out, he hardly noticed it since he was still unconscious. Then there were several nasty cuts on his arms and chest which needed to be taken care of. As she worked on him the soldier slowly started to wake up from his deep slumber.

And then the last person she expected or wanted to see, came in. Tavington. Together with Captain Bordon, to whom she had been so rude earlier. They walked into the tent to question the wounded soldier. As he walked in, their eyes made contact for just a second but Eliza quickly lowered her eyes to face the wounded soldier and continued her work. Tavington needed to question the soldier on an attack which had, fortunately, freed Eliza's brother Gabriel.

Tavington moved to stand next to the soldiers cot and Eliza quickly finished her work. Not wanting to stand so close to the Colonel for so long. He had watched her work in the meantime.

_She has such small hands, well she is small, not very lady like though, her hands are all roughed up…_

The soldier had a rough time trying to explain what exactly had happened and who attacked them."He said there was…" Bordon said in an attempt to help him out since he could nearly speak.

But he was quickly cut off by Tavington "Were you there? Then let him speak!" he snapped at his second in command.

"Take your time and tell me, how many were there? Were they militia? Were there regulars?" he continued to question the soldier as Eliza turned around to wash the blood of her hands.

As Eliza continued to eaves drop on their conversation (well, there was no way NOT to eaves drop) she started to suspect that the man who had attacked and freed Gabriel, might have been their father…

"Yes! It was a ghost, he was like a ghost…" the soldier answered the Colonel's disbelief.

No matter how hard it was for Eliza to admit, she knew her father to be capable of such massacres. At one night she overheard a conversation where he toldn their mother about the terrible things they had done at Fort Wildernis, and she wished she had never heard. There was not one night when Benjamin Martin did not pray for forgiveness.  
Could this Ghost be her father? Could her father have killed all these twenty soldiers on his own?

"Colonel, if you wish to question the patient some more, then would you be so kind as the come back later? I'm afraid he has had a bad concussion and needs to rest now" Eliza said in a determined voice as she tried to avoid eye contact and started working on some medication to ease the soldiers pain.

For a moment he wanted to snap her head off and tell her to look at him when she spoke to him. Her kindness and care for those who were supposed to be her enemies, angered him greatly. It annoyed him. He couldn't quite understand why. She had said or done nothing wrong. And still he felt as if she was getting under his skin. With that beautiful long hair and pale skin, her jokes and optimism. He wanted to loathe her, he wished that he did.

When he didn't answer she turned to face him and at that moment the second last person on the world she wanted to see came walking in.

_Really! James Wilkins? Some people have all the luck… James Wilkins in a redcoat uniform, what on earth is he doing here!_  
She quickly turned around so he wouldn't recognize her. Bordon introduced the captain to his superior and Tavington made it known that he wasn't too pleased with another colonial after which he walked out in anger, followed by Bordon.

"Eliza Martin… I thought it was you" a vicious voice called out. Eliza quickly turned around, startled, she thought he would have left also but as she turned she found James Wilkins still there.

"Whatever are you doing here?" he asked as his grinned widened.

"I got captured and now I am taking care of wounded soldiers, what's it to you? Besides, I could ask you the same but I can guess what you are doing here: making a ridicule out of yourself and in the process betraying your country" she sneered at him.

Within a second and very much unexpected, he raised his hand and smacked her in the face so harshly she almost lost her balance and stumbled backwards.

"You will show me respect, I am an officer in his majesty's army!". After a moment of silence he continued "I bet you've not told them who you are have you? Or what you have done? I could tell them you know... unless of course... you're willing to give me what I want and in return I will keep your little secret…" An evil grin lightened his face as a vicious plan crossed his mind.

Wilkins leaned into her and Eliza paced backwards. She didn't want to show her fear but she wouldn't let him just have his way with her. As she walked back she searched to table with her hands and found a small scalpel she had used to remove the bullet from the wounded soldier's chest.

Quickly she brought the scalpel up to his face "You WILL leave me alone James Wilkins, Or I will tell everyone what an honorable man you TRULY are!" she threatened him as her eyes filled themselves with pure fury.

Suddenly they were interrupted by Colonel Tavington who walked in, surprised by the scene which took place in front of him.

"Might I inform what the meaning of this is?" he asked in a harsh voice.

Eliza quickly brought the scalpel down to her side where she continued to hold on to her weapon, ready to defend herself when needed.

"A mere miscommunication sir. But it's seems to have upset miss Eliza though" Wilkins tried to explain.

"I see. You are dismissed captain Wilkins" Tavington stated as he kept on staring into Eliza's big scared eyes.

Wilkins made his way to the exit and as he left he couldn't resist to turn his head and give Eliza an evil and meaningful look. She tried to swallow her fear and wished her heartbeat would just slow down.

Tavington slowly walked up to her, her body was still frozen in one place, her hand white by the cut off blood as she tightly held on to the scalpel. His face no longer showing anger, it showed... worry. He slowly brought his hand up to her neck to check her pulse. It was beating fast.

_What's the matter with her…, what did that colonial say to upset her this much?_

He slowly touched her cheek "You are bruised. He hit you… Why?" Tavington asked, angered by the actions of his new captain.

"Eliza?" he said as he took another step closer (he was definitely in her personal bubble now) and lowered his hand to rest on her shoulder. He squeezed it lightly "Are you alright? What happened?" his voice showed that he cared more than he ought to.

She blinked and brought her eyes up to meet his "Nothing…" she was able to say "I just, nothing, I just overreacted" she meekly said.

_She's lies. I know she lies. There is something wrong but she won't tell me. I could force her to tell me but I have no intention to scare her even more. I'll let it go for now…_

"You are alright now, nothing is going to happen to you okay? Why don't you give me the scalpel dear" he said as he brought his other hand to her right hand to take the scalpel from her.

As he was still holding her shoulder in one hand and holding her hand in the other, he realized he wanted to take her in his arms to comfort her, pat her back and tell her everything would be okay and she had nothing to be afraid of. He wanted to protect her, no harm must ever come to her. This strange, almost unearthly creature…

_Do not be ridiculous William!_

He put the scalpel on the table and lowered his other hand to reach for her upper arm so he could guide her out of the medical tent.

"Come, I will show you to your tent" he said as he escorted her out of there.

"Am I to have my own tent?" she said in surprise to his sudden kindness.

"But of course, where else would you sleep" he chuckled at her.

"I don't know, I thought maybe… never mind" she said.

Truth was, she thought she needed to stay in his tent since he was her captor. And also not entirely untrue: she preferred to sleep there now that she knew James Wilkins was around the redcoat camp. And strange as it might sound, the Colonel's presence made her feel a hell of a lot safer. She really did believe him when he said that he would let no harm come to her.

**AN: Please review :-D**


	8. Molly

That night Eliza drifted off in to a restless sleep. She got her own tent which was next to the Colonel's tent. It made her feel save enough for now. Apparently he didn't trust her not to escape. And he was damn right because escape was something she definitely had on her mind. She needed to get back to her family as soon as possible. She decided that the upcoming days she would be obedient and decent, in the meantime she would think of an escape plan…

But she faltered on the matter of 'obedient and decent' when she woke up and found a servant waking her up for breakfast, wanting to dress her and do whatever else servants do.

"So… explain to me once more please… You are… Molly? And you are…"

"Your servant my lady" the servant girl said in a quiet voice.

"Molly, can you hold on one second? I just need to do something real quick" Eliza said as she barged out of her tent in anger.

"But surely not in your nightgown mylady!" Molly called after her, but Eliza was already out of sight.

As she barged out of her tent she only needed to walk a couple of feet to reach Tavington's tent. What on earth was he thinking? Dumping this servant girl on her, as if she was some high maintenance British lady who needed help with dressing and combing her hair. She wouldn't have any of this and was determined to give him a peace of her mind!

"Why do you insist on bullying me in this manner! What have I ever done to you that you treat me this cruel!" she yelled at him as she stormed in to his tent.

The Colonel wasn't even properly dressed yet himself. Only wearing his black breeches and his hair still hanging loosely around his shoulders. His eyes widened as he noticed her attire: a simple white nightdress without sleeves but just straps. Bare feet and a very angry facial expression.  
Amusement found its way through his body as a delightful grin lightened his face when he eyed her up and down. Her angry eyes still staring at him and her fist clenched alongside her body.

"Eliza, you are upset, and this so early in the morning. Whatever can the matter be?" he mockingly replied.

"A SERVANT! You have bestowed upon me a servant girl of merely 14 who is to do what exactly? Dress me? Comb my hair? Wash me? I am perfectly capable of doing such thing myself!" she said as she realized how even more handsome he looked. No shirt, loose hair… she quickly turned 90 degrees to prevent her face from turning a bright scarlet color.

_Too late…_

The Colonel stayed calm finding this all very amusing. "Apparently you are not capable of it Eliza. Here you are, in your nightgown and bare footed. Have you any idea what my men would think if one of them would find you here? Mhm?" he continued to mock her as he put on his boots.

"I do not need a servant Colonel. Maybe you have forgotten who's house you raided only yesterdat but it was not some grand luxirous mansion. I come from a plantation, I don't need a ladies maid so get rid of her!" she sneered at him.

Slowly he walked up to her without saying a word. Eliza started to get nervous, she really should try and control her temper and remember to whom she had been speaking… or yelling. When he was only a mere feet away from her he yanked her upper arm and pulled her close to his chest.

"YOU, do not give ME commands! I find your defiance amusing but DO NOT misuse it… do I make myself clear young lady?" he hissed in her ear.

She tried to look away from him and when she said nothing he brought his other hand up to her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Answer me Eliza" he softly whispered, his breath caressing her cheek lightly.

"Yes" Eliza quietly said as she lowered her eyes

"Yes what?"

She lifted her narrowing eyes to look at him "Yes… Sir".

"Good, that is sorted then" he said as he roughly let go of her arm to continue dressing.

Eliza slowly turned around to walk back to her tent and almost bumped into Bordon as she left his tent. He seemed very surprised to find this young woman here. In her nightgown and without shoes. As Eliza left the tent Bordon gave his superior a confusing look.

Tavington sighed "Don't ask… you know I wouldn't… And I'm not saying I don't want to"

"I know William, you need not explain yourself to me" Bordon replied to his best friend as he nodded.

"That ungrateful little wench! I try to be kind, I really do but she just pushes me to the limit!" Tavington

"She is frightened I think. Be patient with her" Bordon replied.

Back in her tent, Eliza found out that Molly had not so much been sent only to serve her but also to keep her company. The Colonel thought maybe she was lonely and had therefor sent for one of the maids to come and serve at camp so Eliza could have some female companionship and someone to assist her whilst she worked. She didn't think there had been another moment in her life where she had felt so stupid and guilty about the outburst she just had.

_I guess I should try and make this up, apologize to the man who burned my home._


	9. Trouble

**AN: I really feel I should take some time of working on the defense of my thesis! Therefor I should write more fanfiction don't you agree? :-P  
lololololol. **

After a couple of days work Eliza finally ran into captain Bordon who she had wanted to talk to for some time. She was on her way to her tent so she could wash off the blood of today's work. Her arms and hands had a lot of blood stains on them.

"Captain Bordon?"

"Miss Eliza, you look…" he said as he eyed her up and down.

"I know, I was just on my way to my tent to get cleaned up but then I saw you. I needed to speak with you because there's been something on my mind for some days"

"By all means, tell me what it is" Bordon replied.

"The day I was brought here… I remember you came to check on me and brought me food… I snapped at you, well that is an understatement. I yelled at you. It was uncalled for, you were very friendly and did not deserve my bad attitude. So I wanted to apologize. I am sorry."

Bordon smiled "All is done and forgiven miss. I hold no grudges and I understood your position that day perfectly well. You must have been in great distress, being taken from your home so suddenly. If there is anything I can do to make it more comfortable for you, let me know" Bordon replied courteously.

"That's so kind of you captain, I shall not forget that" Eliza replied. Just as she wanted to continue the conversation, Tavington walked up to them. And he was not looking amused by what he saw.

"Bordon" he snapped. "Have you nothing to do? Because I am quite sure I send you to the Dragoon's training ground to check on them".

"You did sir, I will go at once " Bordon quickly replied as he made his way to the grounds.

Eliza sighed. "It wasn't his fault Colonel, I kept Captain Bordon from his task. You mustn't blame him" Eliza tried to explain.

He took a few steps closer and narrowed his eyes at her. "When I command my men, I expect them to do as I say and not go about making eyes at women. And that goes for you to. You are not to distract my soldiers miss Eliza!" he sneered at her.

Eliza tried hard to keep her cool. But this man… ARGH! He pushed her to her limits!

"You are absolutely the most insufferable man I have ever had the displeasure of meeting!" she hissed as she turned around and stormed off to find her tent.

Tavington just rolled his eyes, not going after her. This one time he would let it go.

* * *

After Eliza had washed up, she wondered if there was any way of taking a bath around this camp. She decided to ask the Colonel when he was in a slightly better mood. Why did he get so angry when she was talking to Captain Bordon anyway? He really knew how to confuse her. One moment he was almost kind but then he could just explode over nothing one minute later. Strange man…  
She washed up and put on some new clothing. A white underdress with short sleeves, white skirts and a white bodice. She combed her hair and used a red ribbon to make a pony tail. Molly was still cleaning up in the medic's tent so she decided to go there and she if there was any more work. As she made her way to the medical tent she thought it was best to search out Colonel Tavington first to ask for that bath. Better to get it over with soon because waiting for a better mood would mean waiting till hell would freeze over.

She didn't know exactly where the Dragoon training ground was and as she searched for it she wandered off further and further to the edges of the camp. It was already nighttime and unfortunately a couple of soldiers around a fire camp noticed her.

"Where you running off to little lady?" one of the soldiers called after her. He was big and had an American accent.

"Must be a lost camp whore" another voice said as he laughed out loud. Eliza started to quicken her pace.

"Nah" the first soldier replied "She is way too beautiful to be a whore" the soldier answered as he took another drink.

"Let's make her one then!" a smaller soldier replied as he got up to follow her. Two of his mates did the same.

Eliza started to quicken her pace some more, no idea where she was going. Why did she go to the edge of the camp! What was she thinking?  
Suddenly she felt a hand twist her wrist as she was spun around and held down in a fierce grip. It was one of the soldiers. Her eyes widened in shock.

"You will release me right now! I am not a camp whore, I work here as a medic". She stated determinedly, but fear was obviously showing in her voice.

"Sure you do love" another soldier said as he tried to put his hand on her waist "Why don't you come and have a drink with us?" Another said as they closed her in.

"I am sure you've had enough drinks" Eliza replied as she tried to struggle to get loose.

"Oh , this one talks back lads!" The smaller one yelled out as they dragged her back to the fire place where they had been seated.

Eliza struggled to get loose and yelled at them to let her go. She managed to scratch one of them in the face and kick him in the groin. She could feel the skin under her nails. The soldier screamed in pain and smacked her hard in the face. She dropped to the ground but they tried to hold her up by yanking her wrists.

"Let's see what you got under there shall we?" one of them said as he pulled out a sharp metal object.

She could hear the sounds of a knife ripping up her skirts and suddenly a fierce pain struck through her shoulder as one of them tore at the straps of her bodice, cut open her sleeves and with that her shoulder. They kept pushing her around and Eliza kept on trying to fight them off but she knew she couldn't win this against three soldiers.

"Keep her steady and I'll show her what to use that pretty mouth for" the big one said.

Suddenly a gunshot came out of nowhere and one of them fell to the ground. Headshotted.  
A man had appeared out of nowhere and he knocked the other two soldiers down without any real effort. One of them was brought to the ground as her savior knocked him on the head with the other end of his gun. As soon as he had kicked the last man to the ground he pulled out his saber and pressed the blade to his throat.

"Touch her again and you'll wish you were never born" he hissed down at the soldier.

"I… I am… so sorry Colonel, we… didn't know she was…"

But the Colonel did not care to listen. Instead he quickly put away his weapons and lifted Eliza up in his arms. One arm supporting her legs and the other around her back and shoulders. Still filled with anger he stomped back to his tent with the young woman in his arms.

**AN: *tum tum tum* to be continued lol!**


	10. Knight in shining armor

**AN: woooooow 2 chapters in one day, I was feeling extremely inspired. And now I need to go and clean the toilet -.- lame...**

"Touch her again and I'll make you wish you were never born" he hissed down at the soldier.

"I… I am… so sorry Colonel, we… didn't know she was…"

But the Colonel did not care to listen. Instead he quickly put away his weapons and lifted Eliza up in his arms. One arm supporting her legs and the other around her back and shoulders. Still filled with anger he stomped back to his tent with the young woman in his arms.  
She was still conscious and therefor it didn't go unnoticed that her savior was Colonel Tavington. And it made her feel like a complete fool but also… save.  
It took him a while to get her from the edge of the camp back to his tent so she quietly rested her head against his chest, thinking of the awful things which could have happened, had he not been there. Whilst she listened to his heart beating like a mad man, he tried to cover her up as much as possible, her skirts were ripped open so her slim and pale legs were showing. He forced himself not to look (did not succeed) He tried to make himself think about something else. Like: what on earth was she doing there anyway!

After he had entered his tent he gently put her down on his cot, she didn't want to lay down so she got up to sit on the bedside. He took a bowl of water and a piece of cloth. The silence was killing her.  
Eliza was waiting in agony for him to get angry with her and this uncomfortable silence was probably just the beginning of her punishment.  
Instead he gently put a blanket over her bare legs. Eliza was too nervous and ashamed to say anything. The Colonel took the bowl of water and piece of cloth. Then he sat himself down next to her and started cleaning the cut on her shoulders. It wasn't very deep, just a scratch and some blood where they tried to tear off her clothing. It angered him again when he thought about those men trying to put their filthy hands on her. She was so little, so small, so vulnerable.

_Beautiful._

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly as he started to clean the blood off her lips. He put a few string of hair behind her ear.

Eliza was surprised by his kindness, she at least expected to be told off if not yelled at.

"I… I'm okay…, just a little shaken up" she answered whilst she stared at the ground in front of her.

"Mhm. I'm sorry you had to go through that" he said.

"Thank you, for being there. And I am sorry about the other day when I got angry over nothing" she quietly said as she looked up at him.

_Damn those big green eyes! _he thought.

"You're welcome. Why were you there anyway? Trying to escape were you?" he mockingly said as he raised his eyebrow.

"Ironically enough I was looking for you" She answered as a smile appeared on her face "And why would I want to escape? I am having the time of my life here" she chuckled as she looked at him, letting him know she was obviously joking.

"You should do that more often"

"Do what?"

"Smile. You look prettier that way" he said as he gently took her chin in his left hand to clean the blood off her lip. "Not that you're not pretty… you are… never mind"

_Understatement since you're absolutely gorgeous… and colonial…_

"Thank you. It's nice of you to say that"she tried to react without being shy but she quickly looked to the ground again. She wasn't used to be given such compliments by men.

"Looking at your bruises you put up a good fight against those three men" he said as he slowly moved around her face with his hand.

"You know me… never afraid to go a few rounds" she sarcastically replied and rolled her eyes.

"You have been smacked around twice now in one week. If I didn't know any better I'd say you should join my regiment"

"As a Dragoon? Under your command? That'll be the day!" she replied with a slight smile on her face.

_Yes. Under my command... and that would be the day indeed…_

"Colonel?"

"Yes?"

"Won't you get in trouble?… I mean… you shot a soldier…"

"You do know that you almost got ravished back there, do you miss Eliza?"

"Yes"

"And still you worry over my wellbeing? You are here because of me, I burned your home and brought you here" he said as he stood and walked over to his desk where he pulled out a chair for himself.

"I do not consider those situations linked Colonel" she replied as she turned to face him.

"Well, to answer your question. Do not worry, I won't be in trouble. I shot a sergeant for trying to ravish a civilian. No harm done" he simply replied as he smiled at her.

_He's got a nice smile. If I didn't know any better I would think he is actually likeable._  
_Do not think those thought damn it!  
But I can't help it, I find him attractive that's all. No harm in that it's not like either of us would try anything so stop fussing. I'm just looking, not touching…I'm just a little swept off my feet because he saved me and all… get over yourself already._

"Eliza, I've been meaning to ask you what happened the other day when I found you pointing a scalpel at Captain Wilkin's face" he asked her as he took off his waist coat.

"I don't make friends easily?" she tried to joke it off.

"Why don't you tell me the truth" he replied most serious.

She kept silent for a while. Thinking of where to begin and even if it was wise to be truthful.

"Captain Wilkins is, as we both know, a colonial. I have met him in Charlestown some years ago and he knows some… things about my past. From before I was adopted. He used to be a friend of the family but that changed also. Even before this war. Anyway, he knows things about me that only a few people know. He wanted to blackmail me if I didn't do what he wanted".

"And what did Captain Wilkins want exactly?" the Colonel asked in a low voice.

"I'm not sure, you stepped in before I could remove his eyeball. " Eliza replied.

_Cute_

The Colonel could guess what Captain Wilkins had wanted from Eliza. Most soldiers here would take their chance with her if only they had the chance. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight anymore.

"So what information does Captain Wilkins have on you and how did he obtain this information may I ask?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes and frowned.

"Colonel, I'd rather not say, you will think poorly off me".

"I do not judge people by their past. I am the last person in the world allowed to do that" he replied.

When she remained silent he continued "If you would tell me, I would be discrete and he would not be able to blackmail you Eliza. I can promise you no harm will come to you if you would trust in me".

_Trust in you.. right…. That seems an awful lot to ask since you burned my home._ _But he is right nevertheless, he is his superior and the only way to get rid of James Wilkin's schemes is to tell the Colonel. In this case he is the only one who can help me._

"First you have to promise me, that no matter what my story is, no harm will come to me" she asked as she looked up at him with a desperate look.

"You have my word" he replied.

Eliza looked to the ground. Then she looked back up at him with a look of determination "I have blood on my hands" was all she said.

This surprised him.

"Go on".

"I was born into a wealthy Boston family. My father was a merchant and made a fair name for himself. My mother died in childbirth which my father blamed me for. He never really noticed me, handed me over to nannies, governesses and such. I was lonely and when I said I wasn't very good at making friends, I meant it. I did not really have friends to play with. So I created an imaginary friend named Carl. I knew he wasn't really there, I never actually saw him but it was nice to pretend. In the beginning my father did not mind it. I was little and a lot of children did it. But as the years passed by I never let go of my imaginary world. I held on to it. When I was 10 Carl was still there. When I was 12 I decided that Carl and I were both pirates who needed to come aboard to sail and look for treasures. My father would have friends and acquaintances over. I would embarrass him all the time because they all wondered who I was talking to and why I still had imaginary friends… At one point there was even gossip in London that his daughter was insane. It was a small blow to his career but he decided it was enough to put me away…"

"Away?" the Colonel asked.

"In South Carolina's institute for mentally insane women" Eliza explained as her eyes started to fill up with tears.

"When I was 15 I saw one of the women die, most likely due to the electro shock therapy which they used to 'cure' her brain. I decided to run away. To make a long story short: I killed the ward and stole his keys. I murdered him. I guess I thought that if he was dead maybe the women would get out. You see most of them are not actually insane, but you will become insane if you stay too long. So I ran off and I just kept running. I have no idea how long I had been running until my new family found me in one of their fields. They took me in and I was considered their daughter. They know my story, I have told them. At least I told my mother and father. Not my siblings of course".

"So where does James Wilkins come in?" The Colonel asked as he offered her a glass of water and took his seat on the chair again.

"Well, I was engaged to him…"

The Colonel raised his eyebrows. "You loved him?"

Eliza coughed hard "No! It was an arranged marriage. After my mother died my father was worried what would become of me if he would suddenly die. So he arranged this. Mister Wilkins seemed nice enough and didn't mind me working as a doctor so I was satisfied and gave my consent".

"I always thought young ladies wanted romance and love but it seems I have been mistaken" the Colonel replied with irony.

"No you are right, we do wish for that… but… Romance, love, passion… It's all very nice but what happens when the harsh light of day kicks in? Besides: after the love comes the breaking of my heart. I was satisfied with a marriage which would be based on mutual respect and companionship. And from that perhaps love could grow" Eliza replied.

"And of course Captain Wilkins could be considered good-looking right?" The Colonel asked.

"Agree to disagree" she answered. For some strange unknown reason this answer satisfied him greatly.

"But you never made it to the isle because Captain Wilkins found out about your past and left you heartbroken?" the Colonel asked.

"Hardly" she replied as she made a dirty face. "But yes we, thank god, never made it to the isle".

Suddenly the Colonel started laughing softly.

"What's so funny?" Eliza asked as her eyed widened at him.

"You are a lot tougher than you look" he replied.

She frowned her eyebrows at him and gave him a confused look "Do you not think poorly of me? Do you not consider me insane or at least heartless?" she asked him.

"Like I said, I do not judge people by their past. And in this world, you are the one person who is furthest away from heartless miss Eliza. Also, you come across as perfectly sane, just a little strange." he told her.

"Good strange or bad strange?" she asked with a grin on her face.

"Definitely good strange" he stated.

"Why don't you lay down for a bit and I shall fetch you some clean cloth's from your tent" he said as he got up to leave the tent.

"Colonel"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything"

"Don't. I have matters to make up for, especially towards you" he replied as he left the tent.

When he came back with her clothing she was lying on his cot, already asleep. Peacefully asleep.  
He looked at her for a while and decided to let her sleep. He did not want to wake her. He quietly turned down the oil lamp which lit the tent and left to make his way to her tent.  
And so he laid himself down on her cot, inhaling her scent from the pillow. Not knowing she had done exactly the same only a few minutes ago.


	11. Predator

**AN: Thank you for everyone who added my story to alerts and favorite stories. It makes me do happy dances in my room. And also thanks for the reviews, it is always so lovely to get those. I always try and update as soon as possible!**

A few days later Eliza still hadn't asked about the possibilities to take a bath. If there even were any. After the night where she got lost, almost got raped and then saved by the Colonel, she had completely forgotten to ask him.

"Hello" she quietly said after she entered his tent. She had not seen him since he last picked her up, put her on his cot and left her to sleep. He had seen her though, not losing her out of his sight just as he promised himself. He had also made it known to his soldiers that she was to be treated well.

"Don't you knock?" he said as he turned around to find her covered in blood.

Just when she was about to go defensive, she saw the grin on his face. He thought it was amusing how she managed to quietly sneak up on him. He hadn't noticed her until she spoke up.

"What can I do for you my dear? I hate to say it but you look absolutely awful."

She wondered why he always called her pet names like 'dear' or 'love'. He sure knew how to be smooth when he wanted to. It made her be even more on her guard. Especially since she was still looking for a good time to escape. And this escape better come quick since she noticed herself enjoying his company even though she would rather die than admit that to him. But he was funny, attractive and a lot more caring than she thought him to be. Also things she would take to the grave.

"I had to do an amputation. And now I was wondering if there was any way I could take a bath here".

"I see… Yes I could arrange that for you. I'll have a bath tub with hot water brought to your tent within an hour" he answered her.

"Thank you Colonel" she said as she turned around to leave.

"Eliza?" he stopped her.

"Yes sir?" she replied as she turned back around to face him.

"Are you okay after what happened? No nightmares or anything?"

"No sir, I am quite well" she said as she gave him a slight smile.

"Good then. Come and see me when you've had your bath, there is something I need to discuss with you" he said in a stern voice as he turned around to look at his paperwork again.

"Yes sir" she replied and left.

As she sank into the hot tub Eliza thought about her escape plan and that it needed to happen fast. But where to run to? She did not know precisely where this camp was and how to get back to her family. Their home had been burned so her family was probably at aunt Charlotte's plantation. She would have to try and reach that place. Without a clue how to. Yesterday she had stolen a redcoat's uniform in which she thought maybe she could escape. She felt guilty, not so much for wanting to escape but because there was another feeling… a feeling wanting her to stay here. She knew she shouldn't be having these feelings. But they were there nevertheless. Anyway, for now she would just enjoy the hot water. Though, she wondered what the Colonel wanted to discus with her. Maybe he would finally send her home and she didn't even have to plan an escape! She tried not to get her hopes up but what else would he possibly have to discus with her? When she thought about the Colonel sending her home she felt a funny feeling inside her stomach. As if it was twisted in a knot.

In the meantime Colonel Tavington had visited General Cornwallis to discuss his war tactics. He found a smirking O'Hara sucking up to Cornwallis about the land which would be given to him after he had won this war. After he left, Cornwallis made it quite clear he did not appreciate the attack on the Virginia regulars when they had already surrendered. He wanted the Colonel to obey the rules of war because history would judge them for it. Though, these Colonial brethren definitely did not abide by these rules. But Cornwallis wouldn't hear any of it. And so Colonel Tavington rode back to the camp, extremely grumpy and ready to have a go at the first person he would be confronted with.

Unfortunately, this first person was Eliza, waiting for him in his tent since he wanted to speak with her.  
She noticed his dark features immediately. Damn, she should have stayed in her own tent and let him come to her.

"Thank you for the bath Colonel, it was nice to get all that blood of me" she told him.

He didn't reply, just growled quietly as he took a seat. He did not offer her any seat so she decided to take place on his cot.

"You wanted to speak to me Colonel?" she asked.

"Yes, tomorrow we will be moving up north to Middleton Place. So pack your belongings and be ready at 6 in the morning" he told her.

His cold attitude made her nervous. He was friendly before he took off to whatever place he needed to go. And now all of a sudden he was in a dark mood again. She wondered what had happened in the meantime. Who made him so angry?

"Colonel, I was wandering when I might go home?"

"I burned your home"

"But I have other family to go to and there have not been that much work here, It seems like there is no need for me to stay here sir" she pleaded with him.

Suddenly a wicked grin appeared on his face. He got up and made his way over to her. Still smirking he stopped right in front of her and raised his hand to lift up her chin.

"Eliza I have absolutely no intention of letting you go anytime soon" he said after which he sat right next to here on the cot.

Then he moved his hand up to her face and slightly stroke her cheek as he brought his lips close to her ears "And you are mistaken my dear, there will always be use for a beautiful woman like you" he seductively whispered in her ear as her eyes widened in fear.

He moved his hand to the other side of her face and turned her head to face him. He looked at her face up and down and rested his eyes on her lips. She could feel his breath on her lips as he still smirked at her evilly. She got scared and slightly aroused at the same time. She knew exactly what he had meant by that comment. In a flash she decided she needed to get the hell out of here. As fast as she could she got up and ran to her tent, leaving the Colonel smirking behind her.

There, now he felt better. He would apologize in the morning of course. He just needed to take his anger out on someone in order to feel better about his confrontation with Cornwallis. But for now he just enjoyed the frightful look in her eyes. It was quite funny to him.

Eliza on the other hand, wasn't amused at all. She was confused by the Colonel's attitude. She would have never thought him to be like James Wilkins. Lately he had been kind to her, caring even. And now all of a sudden he acted like… like… some kind of predator eyeing his prey.

If she wanted to leave here, with her virtue intact, it was definitely time to escape.


	12. Escape

**AN: As you may have noticed I have decided to write some shorter chapters for this story. This way it might seem that they are progressing slower but I can update more often this way. I hope you don't mind but let me know. Also if you have any ideas that you want me to fill in this story, tell me! :-)**

It was 3 o' clock when the camp had gone completely quiet and she sneaked out, dressed in her stolen redcoat uniform. The boots were way too big so she decided to go barefoot. This way she would make less noise whilst sneaking out into the forest. Her hair was tugged under a hat. She had an idea in which direction to run but not how far she was from her home. If she would reach it she could call on some neighbors and travel to aunt's Charlotte's plantation.

She remembered Tavington's words from when she first arrived at the camp _"Try to escape and I will personally make you regret you even thought about it"._

Whatever that meant, could not possibly be any worse than being forced to share his bed. Because let's face it: that's what he meant. She wasn't daft.  
Eliza managed to walk past the other soldiers without problems. There were no prisoners at camp and she was dressed in a uniform so the few soldiers who were awake didn't think anything of it. When she reached the edge of the camp she could simply walk into a field and disappear. There she decided to take the waistcoat off in case she came past a colonial. That might just be her death sentence and then she might as well have stayed at the camp and risk…

Risk what exactly? Rape? The Colonel had made it clear that he had plans for her. He was toying with her emoticons. Could he have noticed that she was attracted to him? That was all it was… attraction. Pure psychical attraction and nothing more. Right?... right?...  
But she was torn between different emotions because deep down inside she found it quite exciting thinking about Colonel Tavington that way. When he had whispered that in her ear… She sighed. The more reason she needed to get out. Before her emotions and feelings took over. OUT!

Either way, after his last comment it did not matter what her feelings towards the Colonel were. His feelings were clear: pure psychical attraction and he wasn't afraid to use his position to get her. And so she needed to get the hell out. She thought it all over as she ran through the field. Thanks to the full moon and stars she had some light to show here the way and this was definitely the right direction.

After about 5 minutes it started pouring down with rain and if that wasn't bad enough she heard thunder coming from afar. Within minutes the thunder and lightning were close. She hardly felt the rain anymore since she was already completely soaked, running around in her black breeches, bodice, white shirt and without any shoes. As she ran through another field she saw a small cabin in the distance. She started running faster even though her legs were hardly capable of carrying her any longer. As she ran towards the little cabin she didn't notice the hill she ran down was steep, very steep. Eliza could not manage to hold her balance and tripped, landing hard on the ground. She rolled down the hill and her head smashed into a big rock. The pain was extreme but it within seconds it had faded, only because she wasn't capable of keeping her eyes open.

* * *

Two hours after Eliza had escaped, Molly came running into Tavington's tent. He was already dressed and ready to depart for Middleton Place. He quickly turned, ready to snap at Molly for entering like this but he stopped himself when he saw the frightened expression on her face.

"Colonel sir! It's miss Eliza sir, she isn't in her tent. All her cloths are still there… she ran off … naked!" Molly said with eyes who could not have looked more frightful.

The Colonel narrowed his eyes and thought about what Molly said and what happened last night.

"She ran off Molly…, using a soldier's uniform" he quietly said, scratching his chin as he thought about his next move. But he did not need to think for long.

"Mount your horses. My hostage has escaped and I want her found!" he yelled as he stormed out his tent to command the other Dragoons. "Search these fields and find her! Bring her to me alive and unharmed!"

Tavington and Bordon quickly mounted their horses to look for her and rode into the fields to see if there was any sign of her or which direction she was heading. Bordon had quickly found the waistcoat in the field since she took that off only just after she left the camp. So they were heading in the right direction at least…

Within ten minutes after searching the fields and woods they noticed the same cabin that Eliza had noticed only some hours ago.

"Bordon, let's move towards that cabin, she would probably have to go somewhere looking for shelter from the storm" he said as they rode down the hill towards the little wooden cabin in the distance.

"Sir, I can see her from here" Bordon said as he pointed out a small figure lying in the grass next to a big rock. Long brown hair and completely soaked. Blood had been dripping off her forehead.

"My God" the Colonel softly whispered.

Both men quickly dismounted their horse and ran to the woman lying down the hill.

_What have I done... Do not dare to be dead you little minx!_

"Eliza! Can you hear me? Wake up!" the Colonel called out to her as he wildly shook her shoulders to make her wake up. He quickly checked her pulse and was relieved to find she still had a beating heart. But her face was paler than usual and the wound on the side of her head worried him."She is still breathing Colonel, but we must get her back to camp quickly, she is completely soaked and we don't know how long she has been unconscious" Bordon said.  
"Look away Bordon" was all the Colonel said as he tore of her shirt and put his waistcoat around her shoulders in an attempt to warm her a bit.  
After that, Bordon lifted her up as the Colonel mounted his horse. He then handed her over to the Colonel and they rode back to the camp as fast as they could.

During the ride the Colonel noticed how lifeless her body seemed to be. She did not wake up, was extremely pale and there was a lot of blood which had come from the wound on her head. He had no idea how long she had been lying there in the cold rain, in these soaking clothes. He held her tight to his chest. Without realizing that he did it, he placed a soft kiss on her head as he hugged her even tighter to his chest and whispered in her hair that she was not allowed to die on him.

_Lord, heaven knows we are not on good terms with each other, but if you would just let her live I will make this up to her._ _I swear to you I will make amends._

**An: Hope you liked it ;-D I will quickly start working on another chapter.**


	13. Friends?

"When she wakes up, you should tell her you know…"

"I do not know what you are talking about Bordon" Tavington replied without turning to face his captain.

The Colonel was standing in Eliza's room as Bordon walked up to him. They had left 3 days ago for Middleton Place and as soon as Eliza was stable enough, doctor Crawley had made sure she got there also. But she was still highly feverish and had not been able to wake up yet. She mumbled a lot in her sleep, nightmares mostly. According to the doctor this was a good sign. She was dreaming and therefore closer to waking up.

"William, do you know what she is talking about when she has a nightmare like that?"

"I think I do" the Colonel replied thinking off what Eliza had told him about her biological father and the mad house she escaped from.

"She must have… confided in you then?" Bordon asked his friend.

"She had no choice and chose the lesser of two evils".

"You may choose to be blind, but you're no fool William. She feels it too. Maybe that's why she ran off. Scared to face it. Women are tricky like that. Besides, I never really could see you with one of those airheads from London society. I imagine you with a woman who isn't scared to put up a fight and tell you you're wrong"

"I'm never wrong though" he said as he gave a slight smile and sighed. "I burned her home and the reason she is lying here is also my fault. Any feeling she might have felt will have disappeared if she wakes up".

"WHEN she wakes up" Bordon corrected him.

"Let's hope so" the Colonel mumbled under his breath.

"Anyhow, I came to tell you that the Dragoons are ready for the raid" Bordon said.

"William?" the captain asked when Tavington didn't reply. She will still be here when we get back, she is getting better. Have some faith".

"Let's go" the Colonel replied as they left the room.

* * *

Eliza had heard some of the conversation since she woke up when Bordon came to get the Colonel. But she was too tired and feverish to open her eyes or understand what was going on around her. She thought it had not happened and that it was just another dream. Only a way better one than the ones she suffered the last couple of days. But when she opened her eyes she found herself in a beautiful room. This must be a dream since she was lying on a gigantic four poster bed in a room suited for royalty. There was a beautiful fireplace and a sofa. Everything felt so real. This did not feel like a dream at all, but how did she get here? Her mouth was dry and she reached for the glass of water next to her on the cabinet. She saw the room had huge windows with beautiful red curtains all the way down to the floor. They were open and daylight was coming in. She slowly tried to sit up and pushed her legs outside the bed to stand up. She noticed she was wearing a white nightgown and her hair had been braided.  
Eliza tried to stand up but as soon as she pushed herself off the bed, she dropped to the ground with a loud thud.

Yup, definitely no dream. This was real.

After one minute of lying on the floor, the big wooden double door opened up and a servant came running in.

"Miss! You are awake. Let me help you up" she said as she quickly walked over to where Eliza was lying on the ground. "I shall get you a doctor" she said as soon as Eliza was on the bed again.

* * *

That same night Captain Bordon and Colonel Tavington came back from their raid. A servant was already waiting at the door to tell them the good news about miss Eliza. After she had fallen out of bed the doctor came to check on her and noticed a serious drop in temperature. She was still feverish but awake and her life was secure. He had given her medicine and after eating, drinking and a semi warm bath she had increased a lot. She still needed a lot of sleep so the doctor was reluctant when Tavington asked to see her. Only if he promised not to wake her he could quietly go in to check on her.

He silently stepped through the wooden doors and closed them behind him. A cozy fire was burning in the fireplace when he entered. He paced over to the four poster bed and stopped right in front of the bed. As he rested his hands on the wooden bed he sighed. Feeling extremely guilty. She did look a lot better though, less pale and her breathing wasn't as shallow anymore. The fever had gone down and it seemed as if she wasn't having any nightmares either.

"Enjoying yourself?" she quietly said as she opened up her eyes.

For a moment he did not know what to say, she was staring right at him. "How did you know it was me?"

"Only the guilty sneak around like you do, and of course being an evil witch with special powers helps a lot" she said as she tried to smile at him.

"It's good to see you've not lost your humor and wits" the Colonel replied as he walked closer to stand next to her. For a moment they both did not know what to say or where to begin.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A lot better than this morning"

"Yes the doctor told me you fell out of bed because you decided to get up and leave" he said as he smiled down at her.

"Is this Middleton Place Colonel?"

"It is yes. You have been absent for 3 days. You were extremely feverish and we were not sure you would make it. As soon as you were stable the doctor brought you here. You have been unconscious because you hit your head on a rock and have been out in the rain for several hours which made you so sick. While you slept you seemed to have awful nightmares, mainly due to the fever" he explained to her.

"I see" she quietly said. "I am sorry to be burdensome"

"Eliza, why did you run away?" he asked, ignoring her last comment.

"Because of what you said… your threat… it was the first time you really scared me" she said as she looked at him, a look of desperation "Excuse me but you are extremely confusing to me. I helped you and you burn my house. You take me hostage and force me to work here. Then you help me with James Wilkins and shoot one of your own soldiers for trying to rape me yet the other day you threaten to do exactly that! You're kind one moment and then you're threatening me the other. I do not know what to make of it! And after that night… when you said that… I just had to get out, I had to. I may not know you very well and I won't pretend that I do but I never took you for being like them… like the man you shot in order to protect me. I thought you were different." she explained as a few tears came down her cheeks.

"I am not like them Eliza, what I said that night… it was… a poor joke"

"Strange sense of humor you have"

"My commander, Lord Cornwallis, had scolded me for some of my war tactics and when I came back I took my anger out on you. Please accept my sincere apologies".

"Sure, all is forgiven" she sarcastically replied as she rolled her eyes "I guess that you will now make me pay for trying to escape since you threatened to do so when I first came to camp?" she said in an sarcastic voice, anger showing in her eyes.

The Colonel walked over to the window and stared at the night sky for a while as Eliza just looked at him, waiting for his next move.

"I did not mean that either Eliza…"

'Well! You sure say a lot of stuff you don't mean" she sneered at him.

"To be honest, I have never met a woman who speaks her mind so freely, who says whatever is on her mind. I am amused, though I do not know how to handle it."

"Well you better get used quick because I have a lot to say!" she said as she placed both her hands on her waist.

"I'm sure you do!" he replied as he laughed and turned back around to face her. "I have to compliment you though, you are quite bright, dressing up like a soldier and managing to escape. It is my entirely my fault that you got hurt and almost died. I would have never forgiven myself if you would have. I am not entirely heartless you know"

"You are not heartless at all" she interrupted him as she looked at her hands.

He cocked his eyebrow at her comment "I will make amends, I promise you" he said as he walked over to her and stuck out his hand.

"Friends?" he asked.

"Friends" she said as she placed her smaller hand in his and shook it.

"Shall I get you something to drink?" he asked.

"I'll have a whiskey" she replied as she gave him a bright smile. He chuckled.

"Seriously though…"

"No thank you I am not very thirsty"

"Then I shall leave you be to get some more sleep"

'Euhm, Colonel… I kind of have been asleep for very long and I'm definitely not tired. Can I go outside for a bit? I promise I won't try and escape, just this one time" she asked as she gave him a mischievous smile.

"Outside, alone?"

"You could come with me…"

"Eliza, the doctor will have my head if I allow you to do that…"

"Unless you're scared of course…"

"…"

"Get your coat you little minx…"

She grinned as she slowly got off the big four poster.


	14. The Lord General

"Colonel, what day is it?" she asked as they made their way through the gardens of Middleton Place.

"It is Sunday, 24th of June" he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, just wondering" she said as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Truth was: Eliza's birthday was coming up in a few days. She would turn 23. But she did not really want to tell the Colonel. She actually did not want anyone to know. She had told Molly once but she would have probably forgotten already.  
They had been walking outside for a few minutes, just strolling around the gardens from which the view was amazing. She had not noticed how big Middleton Place really was until she was standing in the gardens looking at it. She had never been inside one of these big houses before. As far as she knew, these really were suited only for royalty. The Colonel shown her the library before they went out and she was amazed by all the books she found. Eliza put on a long chamber coat to go outside, it was summer so it wasn't like she needed something warm around her, just decent enough so she could go into the gardens even though almost everyone was asleep around the mansion.

"Tell me something about yourself" she asked to break the silence between them. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, it was quite nice actually. But she knew so little about the Colonel and he knew so much about her. It bugged her a little and she was curious about him.

"What do you wish to know?" he replied.

"Well, you know a lot about my background and family so I'd like to know some about yours" Eliza said.

"It's not a pleasant story I must warn you…"

"I think I can deal" she said as she winked at him.

"Well, I came from a pretty wealthy family back in London. My grandparents owned a lot of real estate which my father inherited, being an only child. My mother was absolutely the most loving and warm person to be known on this earth. I used to have 3 brothers. Two older brothers and one younger brother. My father made it known that our youngest brother was his definite favorite. Our father always used to be a heavy drinker and when our youngest brother died of pneumonia, which is now more than 20 years ago, my father started to drink even more and gamble away everything we owned after which he committed suicide. I joined the army, my older brother is a solicitor and my oldest brother has become a doctor, like you".

"And your mother?"

"She is still alive, she lives with my oldest brother in London in a small but comfortable home.

"Must be hard for her to grow up being used to all those privileges only to have them ripped away all of a sudden"

"My mother never cared for materialism. If it weren't for my father she would turn every home we owned in a shelter for the homeless and orphans. But for me and my brother it was a hard lesson in what really matters in life"

Eliza wanted to ask what he thought really mattered in life. But she felt that if she did, she was getting way too close, invading an area which would bring them too near to one another. Instead they remained silent for a while.

"So tell me about this scolding you endured from your Lord Commander" she said as she smiled to let him know this was something she would enjoy.

"You would like that, wouldn't you" he replied, smirking at her.

She giggled softly "As your… _enemy_, your words and not mine, I will enjoy it thoroughly"

He grinned "General Cornwallis, my commander, wants me to be more of a gentleman when I am on the battlefield"

"And what about when you're off the battlefield? Did he mention that also?" she informed as she tried to keep a steady face but failed.

"Miss, you are hurting my feelings" he said as he tried to look hurt "Please do inform me when I have not behaved as such".

"Well, there was the time when you…"

"Never mind" he quickly interrupted her as she started laughing.

"And then of course when you…"

"Yes! Thank you! That will be all" he cut her off as they both started laughing. She really did amuse him greatly. They remained silent for a little while as Eliza thought about what they just said. She did actually think him to be a gentleman, he just had a temper. But then again so did she so who was she to judge.

He led his hand glide over her right arm as he made his way over to her other side. She allowed herself to enjoy his touch for a moment and then quickly decided she really shouldn't have. She wondered again when she was allowed to go home and why he had taken her in the first place but this wasn't the right time to ask. To be truthful, she did not want to spoil this pleasant moment and she was too weak to travel anyway so it really wouldn't do her any good. But it kept bugging her: why did he keep her here?

"Eliza, now that we are talking about General Cornwallis, I must tell you something and ask you to be most discrete with this information. Can I trust you on that?"

She thought about it for a second "Yes, you can trust me to keep a secret".

"The reason you are at Middleton Place is General Cornwallis' health. According to the doctor he is suffering from dropsy and I want you to take a look at him. The doctor says there is nothing he can do for him. You see why I asked you to keep this a secret. General Cornwallis is irreplaceable. Losing him will be a great loss to the Crown and this war".

"What makes you think I can help if the doctor says there is nothing he can do?"

"I think most highly of your intellect Eliza, you read a lot, speak Latin. I will not deny I think you are very bright. It cannot hurt to take a look at him to say what you think right? That's why I wanted to bring you here"

"If it is oedema or dropsy Colonel, we should go to him at once, every minute may count" she replied.

"Do you feel well enough?" he asked as he put his hand on her back and turned around to face her.

"Definitely"

"Then let's go" he said as they both turned around to walk back to the estate.

"Oh and Colonel…"

"Yes?"

"I also speak Spanish and French, but don't worry, you've not hurt my ego".


	15. About fcking time

As they entered the Lord General's room the guard looked up at Eliza who was still wearing a white chamber coat and matching nightgown. He cocked his eyebrow and coughed loud enough to let her know his disapproval.

"Oh settle down will you! There's more important things to worry about right now" she sneered at him as they walked through the door. The Colonel tried to keep a steady face but a playful smile made its way to his face seeing the young woman acting… well… like herself.

When she reached Cornwallis' bed she could see some of his body parts were swollen up. She examined his body and found that mostly his lower legs and head were swollen. The General could barely speak or open up his eyes. Eliza picked up the statoscope to listen to his heart.

"It's definitely the heart, it's almost too quiet to hear at all" Eliza said as she looked up at doctor Crawley who was standing on the opposite side of the bed.

"I'm afraid so" the doctor replied.

"There are several treatment's available…" she said

"Yes I know and none of them will help the General since his heart is the main problem here" the doctor interrupted her slightly annoyed.

"But there is a new treatment… Considerable success has been achieved by draining the pericardial sac of its excess fluids and administrating adrenaline… I know it is still in an experimental phase but…"

"Injection of adrenaline is a comparatively new procedure" the doctor tried to object.

"I saw my grandfather do it a while ago, I know how to do it" she tried to push her case.

"We cannot just try out new procedure on the Lord General!" The doctor replied as he raised his voice.

Colonel Tavington had witnessed the battle between the doctor and the young woman and decided it was time to intervene.

"Docter Crawley, will his Lordship die if we do nothing?" the Colonel asked.

"No… well... yes, I think so, the chance is very slim that he will live…"

"Then. Get. The. Adrenaline." The Colonel replied in a stern voice.

"I just wish it was a procedure I was more familiar with…"

"Will that serve as your excuse when he dies!" Eliza sneered, trying to keep her temper under control.

For a moment the doctor thought about it. He really did not have any choice. "Let's prepare the General for his procedure" he finally said.

While Eliza prepared Cornwallis for the procedure by disinfecting his chest, the doctor explained to him that his heart wasn't functioning properly and that his pericardial sac was full of fluids which they would drain and then inject adrenaline. They needed Cornwallis' permission for the procedure and luckily he understood what they tried to explain. He knew that the draining might stop the heart but also that he would most likely die if they didn't try. He gave his permission and Eliza started the procedure immediately. As she drained the fluids from his heart she could see the General was in considerable pain.

"Adrenaline, quickly, his heart has stopped" she ordered the doctor.

She injected the adrenaline as the doctor held on to the valve. Within seconds after she had injected the adrenaline, the General opened up his eyes and gasped for air. Eliza sighed in relief as she pressed a bandage on the place where they had injected the heart.

"I'll take it from here miss, why don't you take some rest. You've not been very well yourself lately." she heard doctor Crawley say.

* * *

"I am not too proud to say I was quite impressed back there" the Colonel told her as he walked her up the stairs back to her room.

She chuckled "By my furious temper or actual medical skill?"

He smirked "Both".

"I'm just glad the General gets to live. I'm pretty sure doctor Crawley would have found a way to blame me if the procedure had gone wrong" she answered as they stood still in front of her bedroom doors.

The Colonel turned around to face her "Doctor Crawley has a hard time dealing with women who are his obvious equal… or perhaps… even his superior?" the Colonel replied with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"You're flattery is most smooth" she said as she narrowed her eyes at him and smiled to let him know she would not be swept off her feet by his charms.

"I think he will want to meet you when he is well enough" he changed the subject quickly.

"I'd be honored, I've heard a lot about him. According to my father General Cornwallis is an absolutely genius" she said as she suddenly remembered her father which made her feel slightly guilty. Here she was, mostly enjoying her time instead of being a real hostage who wanted to get out. She enjoyed the company of her captor and she has helped a couple of British soldiers who had dealt great blows to the colonials. The Colonel noticed the look of sadness in her eyes when she mentioned her father.

"Eliza, I think I speak for the entire British regiment when I say that we cannot ever repay you for what you have just done. It cannot be easy for you, saving the lives of men who fight against your believes. And I am terribly sorry to have put you in that position…"

"Don't be sorry, I feel no shame for saving the lives of people who think differently. They have a family, they are loved and needed. If there is anything I can do to save them then it would be wrong of me to deny them this" she told him.

"And you are not responsible for what they choose to do with the life you save" he added, thinking of his own life that she saved and the ungrateful way of repaying her. "Well if there is ever anything I can do to repay you, please let me know" he said as he placed his hand on her upper arm. "Goodnight Eliza".

Just as he turned around to walk off to his own room she stopped him, grabbing his hand but quickly letting go when she realized what she did.

"Colonel there is one thing" she stumbled.

"Go on" he replied with a curious look in his eyes.

"It's been on my mind ever since you brought me to camp… I fail to understand… Why you took me. I just cannot wrap my mind around it. I did nothing wrong and you had a lot of good doctors at camp… Every time I ask you why you took me and when I can go home you change… you act so cold. But I cannot understand the situation no matter how much I think about it so I beg you to tell me why you took me and when will I see my family again?" she softly asked as she look up at him, noticing how his eyes turned into that cold stare again.

As he took a step closer she took one back and felt the hard wooden door press against her back. He almost leaned into her with that cold look, gazing into her widened eyes and grabbing both her upper arms in anger.

"I needn't explain my motives to you!" he hissed quietly as he looked down at her. With nowhere to go she just stared at him, not so much scared but frustrated. She was breathing heavily as he eyed her face up and down, resting his gaze on her full lips. She could have sworn he leaned into her and brought his face even closer to hers, before he tightened his grip and pushed himself away from her to turn around and leave.

"My God! This is exactly what I meant! You are kind to me one moment and all of a sudden you turn 180 degrees and you're just plain cruel!" she called out after him as it made him turn around to listen to her ranting. "And if you think you can just treat me this way, being all charming one moment and then almost pushing me through a door another, you are dead wrong mister! You owe me an explanation about why you took me away from my family and you know it!" she angrily finished her sentence as she turned around to open the door and slam it shut behind her.

As she stormed into her room she almost ripped off her chamber coat in anger and threw it on the floor. While she made her way to her closet she never even noticed that she didn't hear her bedroom doors shut. Just as she reached the closet door, she felt a pair of strong hands on her shoulders which forcefully turned her around. Her eyes widened as she found herself staring into Tavingont's eyes, looking down at her with that dangerous cold gaze. A look of anger… but also… lust.

Before she knew it, he had one arm holding her waist as another one made its way to her neck. He roughly placed his lips upon hers and kissed her wildly, forcefully almost. She wanted to struggle against the sensation of his fiery lips on hers. But her body felt limp in his arms and did not actually want to fight against his fierce grip. Instead she grabbed his jacket in an attempt to pull him nearer to her. As soon as she opened up her mouth to leave him passage, his tongue was exploring hers, deepening the kiss even more. He noticed she did not struggle but wanted him as badly as he wanted her which encouraged him to continue their passionate play. His hand moved from her neck into her long brown hair which he entangled as her hands moved upwards to glide around his neck. As he was sucking on her lips he could feel her warm body moving against his through her nightgown. Feeling her warm body pressed against his aroused him even more. With one arm around her waist he let his other hand slide down to her hip. She was still brushing up against his body as he lifted her up, her legs entangling his body.

As his hand softly squeezed her bottom she could feel his manhood pressing hard against her. He moved his mouth down her jawline and pressed his lips to her neck. She moaned. This new sensation was setting every part of her body on fire and she wished it would never stop. He moved them towards the four poster and placed her on the foot of the bed gently. Her legs were hanging limp around each side of him as he pressed her closer into his hips. She leaned back onto the bed as he leaned into her, softly placing a trail of kisses down her neck.  
"I took you because I wanted you, I still want you Eliza…" he whispered in a deep voice against her neck. Then he slowly glided his other hand down, feeling every curvy area of her body. When he reached her left leg he slightly pulled up her nightgown to feel the soft skin of her leg.

Suddenly she realized the meaning of his words. He took her… away from her family! How could she forget about them so easily and make out with the Colonel of the Green Dragoons?  
"Colonel…, we can't…" she softly broke the enchantment as they both breathed heavily. He let his forehead rest against hers and quickly put his hand on her arm. His eyes still closed. "I am so sorry" he whispered as he took her head in one hand and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

And then he was gone. Leaving her on the bed, gasping for air and wondering if this had been a dream.

**AN: this chapter is called "About fucking time" because… well… it was about fucking time wasn't it?**

**I'd like to know what you think. I always have a hard time writing these kind of chapters.**


	16. A talk with the Lord General

The next few days Eliza was happy to find that the Colonel had gone on another raid. She really wouldn't know how to face him when it would come to it. Of course, he started it so she had less to be ashamed off. He kissed her first. But by God, she wanted it! She had given into him, longed for him. She never struggled against him and let her emotions take over. And when he kissed her, she realized she liked him the very moment they met. But seriously though, what future would they have? He was a high ranking officer and she was an adopted child working as a doctor in the American colonies. As if he would ever even consider…

* * *

Tavington was also relieved to do be gone for a couple of days. He felt ashamed about coming on to Eliza as he did. He definitely did not regret it. Her intoxicating smell, soft skin, those beautiful full lips… If it was up to him, every square inch of her body would be thoroughly kissed and caressed. But he should have been a gentleman and leave her alone. She was scared, lonely and in a strange place. Of course she would easily fall for his charms when she was desperate for a friendly face. He decided he should apologize and make sure it would never happen again. That was for the best.

* * *

Three days after Eliza had treated General Cornwallis, a servant came into her room and brought her breakfast as usual. But this time she also had a message for Eliza. She was to get dressed and meet Cornwallis in his office.

"You mustn't fuss over your appearance miss, the Lord General has little appreciation for vanity and protocol" the servant told her.

And so Eliza put on her simple work clothes. The white underdress with bodice and skirts. She brushed her hair but couldn't find anything to tie around it. In a hurry not to leave the Lord General waiting she decided to let it hang loosely around her shoulders. Like the servant said: no fussing over appearances.  
A guard led her into the Lord General's office and announced her presence. As she walked into the office she was amazed by all the fine furniture and paintings decorating the beautiful room. The General was sitting behind his desk and as she curiously looked around the room she noticed a familiar figure standing by the window on the right. Colonel Tavington. _Damn. Don't start blushing!_  
She quickly turned her gaze away from him, facing the Lord General again.

"Miss Eliza, welcome! Please excuse me for not standing up, I'm afraid I still feel rather poorly" the General said as he smiled up at her. He had a warm and loving face. Reminded her of her grandfather actually.

"Please do not apologize for your situation. I'm just happy to see you are sitting here at all" she replied as she gave him a shy smile. She felt rather intimidated by this important man who wished to see her. And Tavington's presence definitely didn't cool her down.

"All thanks to you my dear, please do take a seat" he said as he pointed out the chair in front of him. "Let me first introduce to you my second in command, General O'Hara" he said as he pointed out the man standing next to his desk.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance" O'Hara said as he walked up to her and kissed her hand.

Eliza, slightly taken back by these British custody's, just smiled slightly at him and said something similar.

"And I believe you've already met Colonel Tavington" Lord Cornwallis continued as Tavington turned around to smile or smirk at her. She wasn't quite sure which one it was. She quickly glanced at him and redirected her gaze to Cornwallis again. Trying hard not to think about the night they had kissed and almost… well… did more. Trying hard not to think about his lips on hers, about his muscular arms entwining her smaller form and his male scent…  
Too late, she was thinking about it and trying hard not to turn scarlet.

"Yes we have met" she said as she straightened her back, unwilling to let him know how uncomfortable she felt. The Colonel looked her up and down, thinking about the same night.

"Colonel Tavington told me that you are the one person responsible for the fact that I am still sitting here and I am eternally grateful my child. I wish to show you my gratitude, though please tell me something about yourself first. Where did you learn your skills and where did you grow up?" the General said in en enthusiastic voice. Damn it was hard not to like this man. He was very nice and he treated her so kindly. He was even taking interest in who she was.

Eliza first told the General about her adoptive family where she had been taught to be a doctor just like her grandfather. In the mean time she tried to ignore Tavington's eyes, piercing her soul. Or at least that's how she felt. The General also wanted to know more about her biological family since she would rather not tell too much about the Martin family. She told them she was an only child, that her mother had died and that her father was wealthy Boston merchant. She told them her real last name which was Rochester since her father's name was Rochester. Her mother's maiden name was Grantham. The General thought he knew a family named Grantham who also lived here in the Colonies. He kept it to himself and decided to find out more later.

"I could tell by your accent my dear, you speak such proper English like a real lady. You must have been to England a lot when you were little?"

"I have been my lord, my father used to sail there a lot for business. Me and my governess would come along some times" she answered.

"Your education was handed over to a governess?" he questioned her.

"Several governesses my lord" she answered.

"And was it a thorough education?"

"Most thorough" she answered softly as she thought about all the times she wanted to play but was hardly ever allowed because of all the books she needed to read, piano she needed to play and language she was pressured to learn.

"Yes it must have been, seeing as you now speak four languages… So tell me my dear, where did you go when your father died?"

"My father did not die my lord, he send me away" she answered without showing any emotion on her face. It shocked the General and for a moment he did not know what to say. General O'Hara exchanged a look with Colonel Tavington.

"But… why would he do such a thing?" the General asked as he frowned in confusion.

Eliza kept quiet for a moment. Not wanting to tell the whole story. She swallowed hard.

"Because I was burdensome and he disliked me" she answered in a determined voice. It stung Tavington when she spoke these words out loud. It reminded him off his own father and he definitely did not envy Eliza for her background. Being brought up wealthy but unloved…

"Well… that is just… terrible my dear. Let us not discuss this unpleasant topic any longer since we are not in private" he winked at her in an attempt to lighten the mood. She smiled back at him. "So tell me, how did you come to honor our regiment with your presence?"

"But… don't you already know that sir?"

"Well, I know that Colonel Tavington took you hostage but I never got to hear your side of the story so please do enlighten me on why the Colonel took you away from your home" the General said as he glanced over at Tavington to give him a stern look.

Eliza's breath faltered. She looked at Tavington for a second and quickly turned her head back when she saw the intense gaze he was giving her.

"_I took you because I wanted you… I still want you Eliza"_Tavington's words beamed through her head.

"I… well… I… I euhm… I attacked one of his soldiers when he came to my house" she slowly stated.

"Now why would you do such a thing? You come across as such a fine young lady, I cannot imagine you attacking a soldier of the Crown" the General questioned as he frowned at her.

"They tried to take my brother away for being a spy but he was a mere dispatch rider sir"

"I see, yes… well those things ought to be settled in a civilized discussion and not with violence of course. We shall discuss this later. For now I just wanted to show my gratitude by inviting you to dinner tonight. Will you do me the pleasure of being my guest of honor miss Rochester?"

Eliza noticed how he called her by her old name and she didn't like it. It was painful yet unfamiliar to her.

"I would be delighted sure, but please call me Eliza".

He nodded "And you may call me mister Cornwallis or Charles. There is no need for all this 'my lord' and 'sir'. You are not a soldier in my regiment Eliza!" he chuckled as he finished his sentence.

"Indeed… I am not" she answered as she looked fiercely at Tavington to make sure he received the message.

"Well, that's settled then! We shall see you tonight at dinner. I shall make sure you are properly dressed. Unfortunately I cannot pick you up as a gentleman ought to do for I will be walking around with a stick for a little while longer and stairs need to be avoided for a while."

"I shall not hold it against you mister Cornwallis" she chuckled. "And I am looking forward to tonight's dinner. Until then." she courteously replied and made her way to the door.

* * *

"I like this girl gentlemen" Cornwallis said after Eliza had left. "She has spirits. Guts! She reminds me of my late daughter Adalind… Always way too forward and shocking people with her honesty" the General said as he let out a chuckle at the memory of his daughter.

"She is quite charming indeed. I'll have to find out more about her at the dinner" O'Hara said.

Without O'Hara noticing it, Tavington gave him a dirty look meaning _"hands off!"_


	17. The dinner

That night Molly brought a beautiful dress to Eliza's room. It was a deep red color, made out of satin. The skirts were flowing around her, dancing on the ground with every step she took. The top half of the dress was made out of a corset, the same deep red as the skirts and also satin. It was decorated with black lace and the short sleeves were made from the same black lace.

"Don't I look a little… funny?" Eliza asked as she looked herself over in the mirror.

"Funny! Are you kidding me miss, you look even more beautiful now. Your dress matches the British uniforms so it's perfect. Besides, we cannot dress you up in white, you're already 23!"

"Thanks a lot Molly" Eliza answered as she gave her a playful smile.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean…"

"It's okay I was only joking. I hope you didn't tell anyone that today's my birthday" Eliza said as she looked up at molly through the mirror.

"Not that I know off, and happy birthday by the way!" Molly answered as she gave her a nonchalant look. "There, you are all ready to go" she said as she put the last pin in Eliza's hair. She had put Eliza's hair up quite stunningly. Some string dancing loosely around her face and behind her ears. She looked like a real lady. Luckily without all the makeup and jewels.

After the women had talked some more about the officers (Molly seemed to know a lot about them) they heard a knock on the door. Eliza's stomach twisted in knots when Molly opened the door and found Colonel Tavington waiting to escort Eliza. As he stepped into the room, she turned around and got up from the dressing table. As she got up, he eyed her up and down, a look of surprise in his eyes.

_Oh Lord, this is indeed a sweet sight for sore eyes…_

"Miss Eliza, you look absolutely breathtaking" he said in a smooth voice.

A blush appeared on her face. "Thank you Colonel". She did not expect the Colonel to pick her up and then when he did, he looked her over as if she was his new caught prey. But then again; she had already been caught. She slowly walked towards him and accepted the arm he held out for her. She looked up at him for a moment and found him smiling, probably thinking about the night he got his hands on her.  
As soon as they walked out he decided it was best to clear the air straight away.

"Miss Eliza, I wanted to apologize for the night I came on so strong… I realized I have not been the gentleman that I should have been and I am sorry for that" he said as he looked in front of him.

_He regrets it…_

"I understand Colonel, it's okay, we all make mistakes" she said as she tried hard to force a smile upon her face. Though his word pained her greatly.

"I think you are misunderstanding what I am saying for I would not call it a mistake Eliza. I do not regret it. Nor do you by the way, since you kissed me back" he said as he looked down at her with a mischievous smile. Her heart skipped a beat, not knowing what to say she just looked up at him and blinked.

"As a matter a fact, I would like to kiss you right now" he said as he leaned forward a bit with that same grin on his face.

"No! Don't!" she said as she gasped for air. "Are you nuts?" she hissed. "There are people everywhere here…"

He laughed at her shocked face "Do not worry, I won't. All I am saying is that I enjoyed every minute of our little… dance… but I really should have controlled myself that night. It won't happen again" he finished his sentence in seriousness.

"Okay, apology accepted… and what now?" She asked.

"Now we go to dinner" he said as he winked at her and opened up the door to the dining room. But he knew perfectly well that was not what she meant by her question. As he guided her through the door he whispered; "Did I mention you look absolutely gorgeous tonight, I could just eat you right now".

"You just want to make me feel uncomfortable and make my cheeks turn red" she whispered back "I can tell you right now, it won't work" she answered as she faked a smile for the other people in the room.

"Oh, but I never underestimated you Eliza, you must get these looks and compliments wherever you go" he said as she smirked down at her. She felt her cheeks burn up… Damn that man!

* * *

General Cornwallis had introduced her to everyone and apparently everyone knew about her skills which saved his life. Colonel Tavington noticed how several officers eyed the young lady during dinner. Most likely all thinking the same things he was thinking… And of course they were all very interested in who she was. Eliza became shy because of all the attention. Luckily the dinner courses came in right in time.

During dinner Eliza was sat next to Lord General Cornwallis and across from Colonel Tavington who sat next to O'Hara. There were some more officers, Generals and Colonels mostly. But she couldn't remember all of their names. At one point during dinner she thought she felt something slide against her leg. As soon as she shot Tavington an evil glare, she found him staring at her in surprise. As she narrowed her eyes he changed his features into an evil grin.

"Are you feeling alright miss Eliza?" General O'Hara asked her.

"O yes perfectly fine, thank you General".

"And how is your food?"

"It's the same as yours" she answered with a fake polite smile. This man had been talking to her about his military career and his privileged way of growing up. Then he continued some more about his career and then he had asked her a dozen question about her own childhood. Gladly the Lord General intervened several times.

"I mean, did the food taste alright?" the General continued

"Yes General, it did. Hence my empty plate" she answered. She saw Tavington had an amused look on his face and if she didn't know any better she could have sworn she heard the Lord General try to suppress a chuckle. She hated these empty conversations.

"So how did Colonel Tavington treat you during your captivity?" O'Hara asked her.

She glanced over at the Colonel. "He treated me perfectly fine. I had a place to sleep and there was food. No harm has come to me so he has been the perfect gentleman".

"Has he now?" O'Hara said as he lifted an eyebrow "Because that is definitely not what we have heard about him"

Eliza could see the Colonel's face turn cold and she felt slightly sorry for him. "Perhaps, General O'Hara… you have listened to the wrong kind of people. But of course a high ranking officer such as yourself, knows better than to listen to empty headed gossip right?" she asked the General as she gave him the sweetest smile known on earth.

O'Hara coughed slightly "Of course, I was just concerned for your wellbeing" he .

"That's so kind of you, but I'm a big girl so I'll manage" she said as she gave him a sarcastic wink.

"Colonel Tavington's methods have been discussed and a significant change has occurred recently" Cornwallis spoke up, deciding it was time to intervene before his General and Colonel would have a go at it, again… "And tonight's dinner is not the appropriate time to discuss these matters, don't you agree Eliza?"

"I very much agree mister Cornwallis" she said as she smiled and nodded, looking at O'Hara's direction.

After a while she started to get bored and looked around the room. It was beautifully decorated and there was a lot of art present.

"Are you bored miss Eliza"? General Cornwallis asked.

"No!"

"…"

"Well, maybe a little" she gave a slight laugh "I'm not used to sitting still for this long to be honest, but I am just admiring the artwork"

"Oh, you know about art?" the Lord General asked her.

"Not at all, to me it's just pretty".

"Agreed, and I know nothing of art either" Cornwallis replied as he laughed at her remarks.

"Perhaps miss Eliza" general O'Hara interrupted them "You would like to take a walk with me?"

At this Eliza was wide awake and almost choked on her drink. When she looked up she saw Colonel Tavington displaying a look of amusement all over his face. "I'd love to… but… Colonel Tavington already offered to show me the library after dinner and I simply could not refuse" she answered as she gave the Colonel a soft kick under the table.

"Indeed I did" the Colonel replied "As a matter a fact, why don't we go now, the dinner is over and everyone will be withdrawing soon"

Eliza excused herself and noticed that several people were indeed leaving to go to bed. She thanked the Lord General for the dinner party and the beautiful dress. And then, for the second time that night, she took the Colonel's arm and he escorted her out.


	18. An unexpected gift

**AN: thank you once more for the awesome reviews and for putting my story on alert! Later on I will write more about the Martin family, promise ;-)**

"You and General O'Hara do not seem to get along Colonel" Eliza stated as they walked up the stairs.

"Indeed we do not, but he seems to enjoy your company" the Colonel replied as he gave her a taunting smirk.

Eliza sighed "I dislike him. I usually don't judge this quickly but… there is just something about him that I dislike with a passion" she stated as she frowned, trying to think of all the things which were so repulsive about O'Hara. Besides the whole wig and powder thing he had going on.

"He is a General and second in command to Cornwallis, do you not even feel a little flattered about his flirtations?"

"I don't care if he would be the King of England. Besides, he asked me to take a walk with him, that's hardly flirting I think? But no, I am not flattered. He seems to be arrogant, looking down at people with this misplaced air of superiority around him. He really seems to have it in for you…" she said as she looked up that Colonel "Why is that?"

"General O'Hara, as you said, looks down at people and looks down at me for my background and methods on making a military career".

"He is a big child then. Pointing out other people's flaws doesn't make you a better man".

"You're too wise for you age" the Colonel chuckled.

Eliza kept quiet for a moment. She wanted to reply she was 23 but when they first met she'd told him her age was 22.

"You don't actually have to walk me to the library Colonel, I suspect you have better things to do and I've been to the library numerous times. It's where I've spend most of my free time here" she said as they walked through the hallway towards the library.

"So I've heard, though we must go to the library because there is one other thing I must show you" he answered as they continued their way.

As soon as they reached the huge library Eliza got a little nervous. It wasn't like she didn't want to spend some time with the Colonel… alone… but seriously; where was all of this heading? He was being nice, charming even, but he was her captor. And when the war would end, or actually as soon as possible, she needed to get back to her family. She needed to keep reminding herself these facts, for often she enjoyed his company and her stay at the estate a little too much.

When they were in the middle of the huge library Eliza looked around, what was there to see she hadn't seen before? Suddenly the Colonel placed his big hands on her shoulders and turned her around, she was now standing with her back to him.

"Now, you wait here..." he whispered, bringing his mouth close to her ear "And I will be right back".

His voice made her tremble and she noticed the goose bumps on her arms. Sometimes she wished he wouldn't do such things, trying to sweep her off her feet using his smooth voice and charming attitude. It was probably just a game to him anyway! Playing with her feelings, knowing they would never even properly be together. Not in this universe anyway. No, it was crucial she would not fall for his charms. But the harsh truth was; she already had, she just did not want to admit this to herself yet.

"So, I found out your little secret" his voice sounded behind her, letting her know he had returned "And I wanted to give you something for your birthday".

"But… How did you know!" she called out as she turned around, only to be interrupted by the sight she witnessed when she did. A kitten, he was holding a large basket, furnished with soft layers of pillows and in the middle was the smallest little kitten in the world! It was black with little white paws and the absolute most adorable thing in the entire world. She gasped as she saw the small kitten in his hands.

"Oh my God, she is so cute!" she said as she took the little pet from the basket "Where on earth did you find this cute little thing? Oh my, you really are the sweetest little thing aren't you?" she softly said as she nuzzled the kitten, not noticing the strange look Tavington gave her. He always wondered why women acted so ridiculous around small pets and babies. But seeing Eliza act like such a girly girl made him smile. On her it was cute, on the rest of the female population it was absolute ridicule.

"I bought her in town, it has occurred to me that you might feel lonely around this estate so I figured this kitten might occupy you and make you feel less alone. Happy 23th birthday."

Still holding the kitten, she smiled at him, Surprised by his sudden emphasis. He was right, she had at times felt lonely but she never expected he gave a damn. She looked down at the kitten again, it gave a slight mew and purred when she nuzzled against her.

Overwhelmed with a sudden feeling of happiness she placed the kitten in the basket on the ground and, unexpected to them both, wrapped her arms around the Colonel's neck to hug him. She did not know why she had done it, she just felt like it and didn't think about it. "Thank you so much" she softly spoke into his neck. When she felt his hands patting on her back she realized how inappropriate this really was and quickly took a step back to find her composure again.

"Sorry" she mumbled as she looked to the ground and blushed. "I don't know what came over me…"

"I do" he replied in a deep voice as he took a step closer again, filling up the space which was between them until now.

O Lord, he was going to do it again. This time she would stop him though, she wouldn't let him do this to her again. He brought his hand up to her face and cupped her cheek as his icy blue eyes bore into her green ones. He slowly brought his mouth down to hers. She would stop him… any moment now…  
His lips touched hers and he slowly brushed them against each other, sucking on her lower lip. She gave into him at first but soon she would stop this madness, really, she was going to bring her hands up to his chest and push him away.  
She brought his hand to his chest, he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her into him, still cupping her cheek with his other hand. She opened up her mouth further so she could feel his tongue exploring her mouth once more. He deepened the kiss and his hand slid to the back of her neck, entangling her hair. Her lips were burning up under the sweet sensation of his own. Just one second more and she would stop it, just one more second…

Sigh…, there was no stopping this. It was way too tempting and she wanted to feel his lips… everywhere.

"Mew" a small sound came from the basket below them.

She broke away and blinked, quickly lowering her eyes to her newest family member, the kitten.

"Medusa disagrees with our behavior, and I think she has a point" Eliza said as she brought her eyes back up to meet the Colonel's.

"Medusa is how you named her?" he cocked his eyebrow "Did you just think of that when we were kissing?" he playfully asked her as he reached for her wrist to pull her back into his embrace.

But Eliza quickly took a step back. "I like the name Medusa, but she and I are both tired so I am going to take her to my room, feed her, and then go to sleep. Thank you once again Colonel, I really appreciate you went through all the trouble to get me this kitten, I love her already!" she said as she picked up the basket where Medusa had comfortably made a home for herself.

Colonel Tavington smirked down at her as he walked around her. Letting his hand glide over her arm he took his position behind her "You are very welcome, and I bid you goodnight" he said as he pressed a soft kiss in her neck.

Shivers down her spine again, damn it. She quickly left the library to get to her room. Not looking back, no matter how much she would like another glance before she would sink into restless dreams about a certain British officer.

* * *

"Miss Eliza, how pleasant to see you again" a familiar but annoying voice called her from behind. General O'Hara had made his from the other end of the hall just when Eliza had turned around the corner. "I never got a chance to say goodnight to you".

"Thank you General. I must go to bed now for I'm very tired, so I bid you goodnight also" she said as she courteously nodded at O'Hara.

"What have you got there? A kitten in a basket?" he chuckled sarcastically "Wherever did you get that rascal?"

Eliza wanted to think of something but nothing came up. Then again how did she explain this kitten with a furnished basket which was its home?

"Colonel Tavington gave it to me to keep me company around this estate. I think it was very thoughtful of him. I love animals" she answered him determinedly.

"Thoughtful indeed, not at all like we know him… But then again, you love animals..."

"And what is that supposed to mean General?"

"Just a warning… from a friend… Colonel Tavington is very charming but surely you know this already"

"Are you implying something General?"

"Let me be forward with you…"

"That would make a nice change" she bluntly interrupted him

"Are you in love with Colonel Tavington miss Eliza?"

"That is a little too forward General… and none of your concern either. Goodnight" she answered as she walked passed him to reach for her door.

"Because if you are… you should know one thing. Our Colonel doesn't 'do' love" on that note General O'Hara continued his way "Sweet dreams miss Eliza" he said as he walked away smirking, leaving her in the doorway.

She just stood there for a minute, holding on to the doorknob. Not knowing what to say or who to say it to. The General had hit a nerve. Eliza realized she cared for the Colonel, she was physically very attracted to him… but in love? He made her laugh, was thoughtful and she enjoyed his company a lot. A little too much perhaps since the days when he wasn't there she was shocked to find she actually missed his presence. He wasn't boring like so many men she knew and she couldn't help but find this captor/captive situation extremely sexy in a dangerous way. But was she in love? She wasn't sure for she never had been in love before. Lately though, whenever she saw him, her stomach would feel like it was completely twisted in knots...

"Goddamn" she gasped " I am in love with him... How could I ever allow myself this?" she sighed as she rested her head against the hard wooden door of her bedroom. she felt tears burning begind her eyes. This was so confusing...

She didn't notice how long she'd been leaning at the door before she finally opened it to enter her room. Another thing she didn't notice was the figure standing behind the corner since she walked into O'Hara. It was the Colonel on his way to his own room, and he had overheard the entire conversation.


	19. The ball

The next day Eliza was sitting in the library when suddenly Colonel Tavington walked in. She was reading a book and Medusa was playing at her feet with a little boll of wool that she had knitted together for her newest friend.

"Miss Eliza, good morning" he stated in a determined voice.

Before she could even say good morning back, he continued "I have come to tell you that tonight there will be a ball here at Middleton Place. You will accompany me so I can keep an eye on you which I feel is necessary after your last escape attempt. And tomorrow we will be leaving for the military estate a few miles from here".

Her eyes widened as she stared at him in confusion. "Okay…" Eliza slowly let out. She was a bit taken back by the way he just walked in and dropped this on her.

"Good, that's settled then, I will pick you up at 8 tonight. Have a nice day" he said as he turned around to exit the library, leaving her staring after him with big eyes.

"Now… THAT was just plain weird" she said as she looked down at Medusa who mewed back in agreement.

* * *

He had planned to be a gentleman and ask her to accompany him to the ball. But for the first time in his life Colonel Tavington had felt nervous around a woman. And so he turned back to his comfort zone where he was the ruthless Colonel of the Green Dragoons and his captive was at his mercy. So if he would say she needed to attend by his side, then she needed to attend by his side.

He had grown fond of her though, very fond. But the situation was so complicated to him. He captured her, burned her house and threatened her family. And yet she had feelings for him. At least that's what he allowed himself to hope for after he overheard her conversation with O'Hara last night. He remembered how she told it was none of the Genera's concern if she was in love with him. She did not deny it... And he could have sworn he heard her talking to herself, cursing herself for being in love…

He had never known these kind of feelings but he definitely feel something for this woman he had never felt for anyone else before. As if he wanted to steal her away from the world to shelter her somewhere where no one could possibly harm her. He enjoyed the way her face lit up whenever he walked into the room, something in his lower stomach jumped whenever this occurred. She was so different from other women. She had strange sense of humor but it made him laugh more in the last several days than he ever had in his entire life. He had been with countless women yet Eliza was able to make him feel insecure and secure at the same time. Insecure about whether or not he should be doing this to her. But secure about who he was, she really seemed to believe he was a good man who deserved respect. He also admired her, she was strong, acting the way she did in the situation she did not choose. She simply accepted life the way it was handed to her.

In many ways she reminded him of himself. When he was younger and not nearly as brutal as he was nowadays. She did not seem to care much about what people thought of her, she just wanted to live her life in quietness. Exactly what he always wanted, and these days he wanted to do it in this beautiful country. Away from British protocol and London society. She had gotten under his skin, occupying his mind 24/7, for he now imagined to live this quiet life… perhaps with her by his side?

But this was ridicule! Insanity! What was he to do? Ask her father for her hand?  
"Good day mister Eliza's father, remember me? I came by your house and burned it right down, then I took your daughter and now I'd like to marry her for she has made me a better man… right... Never going to happen William…

He quickly shook the thoughts away as he continued to make himself ready for the ball.

* * *

He had done as he said. Picking her up at 8 from her room and bringing he to the ball. Eliza was wearing a soft green ball dress, decorated with white lace, which complimented her eyes and pale skin. He had eyed her top to bottom and back which made her blush a little. It had been awkward between them. Due to the way Colonel Tavington commanded her to come to this ball with him. It's not like she would have refused if he would have been polite and kind enough to ask.

"Are you okay?" she asked as they made their way outside into the wide stretched gardens of Middleton Place.

_I still can't believe she actually cares…_

"I am quite well, and yourself?"

"Don't change the subject please, I've never seen you this quiet"

"Quiet?" he asked as he raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, quiet. Want to tell me why?" she continues her questioning.

He kept silent for another moment. He realized he did actually want to tell her. This was too strange…

"General Cornwallis isn't too pleased with the theft of his personal luggage and blames it on me for not being able to protect the supply lines against militia. And he isn't too pleased to be at a ball in South Carolina when he wanted to be in North Carolina or preferably Virginia by now. Of course that was also entirely to blame on me." he explained to her.

"I see, so you got another scolding from the big guy" she replied as she chuckled at him.

At this he had to laugh, realizing how ridiculous it was to let this perfectly fine evening to be ruined by the mood swings of his superior. They stood to take a glass of champagne from the trey which servants carried around the garden.

"The General should appreciate my contribution a little more. My efforts have in no small measure brought him to the place he is now"

"I know" she replied as she looked up him, smiling slightly.

"Do you?"

"Well, I just know that where I come from, everyone knew who you were" she said most seriously "And not because of your charming smile or delightful personality" she added the last bit, grinning widely.

"Really? Because I am globally known for those also" he replied as she laughed about his comment.

He wanted to thank her for cheering him up but they were interrupted by an explosion coming from the harbor. They gazed into the direction where the sounds had come from. A British supply ship had exploded and was now on fire. Everyone gasped but Eliza quickly brought her hand to her mouth in an attempt to suppress her giggles.

_Of course, my little patriot finds this most amusing_Tavington thought as he downed his champagne in one gulp.

"Let's go inside" the Colonel said as he offered his arm which Eliza accepted to follow him.

* * *

After the explosion on the supply ship Cornwallis decided to go ahead with the ball. It would not be stopped over one sunken boat. He did not want the rebels to have such pleasures.  
The Colonel guided Eliza into the mansion, back to the ballroom.

"Would you like to dance Eliza?"

She bit her lip. "I don't think I know any of these dances Colonel" she said with a concerned look on her face as she clenched onto his arm like a nervous child.

"We'll just do a simple waltz, just hold on tight and I'll guide you through it"

"Okay, but let me down some champagne first so I'll have the courage to make a fool out of myself" she replied nervously.

"As you wish, I'll go and fetch us some drinks, but after that… you're all mine on the dance floor" he said as he winked at her and walked away.

She sighed. She wasn't nervous to make a fool out of herself on the dance floor. Of course she how to do a simple waltz. She wasn't brought up by savages. Dancing was one of the lessons her governesses needed to teach her when she was young and still lived with her father. Or at least in his house for he was never at home.

"Good evening miss Eliza, how nice to see you again. How have you been?" Captain Bordon said as he came to stand next to him.

"Captain Bordon what a pleasant surprise! I've been well, and yourself?" she asked as she smiled at him, happy to have found another friendly face.

"Very well thank you" he replied "The Colonel and you really seem to get along. That's lovely to see. I remember when you two were practically at each other's throat whenever you had an encounter".

Eliza chuckled "This is very true. Things have changed rapidly" she said as she looked to the ground and blushed, thinking of how rapidly things had changed and what they had changed into: way too much physical contact which neither of them seemed to be able to stop.

Bordon kept quiet for a moment. Noticing the blush on her face. He knew for sure that his suspicions were true. Eliza was in love with Colonel Tavington. But neither of them would finish what they had started so they needed a helping hand. Just a little white lie to help a friend, no harm in that right?

"Eliza, I must warn you, I have seen how the Colonel is behaving around you. I have seen your attachment to him… But there is something you don't know…"

"I don't understand..." she stumbled, knowing that the next thing Bordon was about to say, wouldn't be pleasant.

"Colonel Tavington is engaged Eliza…" Bordon said as he looked down at her with a pitiful look. At that very moment the Colonel came back with a drink.

"Ah Bordon, good to see you here" he said as he tried to hand Eliza the drink.

"I'm sorry but… P… Please excuse me…" she tried to say but stumbled over every word as she tried to fight back the tears.

Without looking up at the Colonel, Eliza fled the ballroom with tear filled eyes.  
Leaving the Colonel staring at her with wide eyes.

"What has upset her?" he asked Bordon in a stern voice.

"I have no idea William, you best go after her though" Bordon replied with a nonchalant look on his face.

**AN: ouch I had a hard time writing this chapter. Next chapter will be... goooood ;-)**


	20. Truth

**AN: Soooooo many lovely reviews again! Thank you thank you! Lol, sorry for the evil cliffhanger from chapter 19 but I hope this chapter is satisfying!  
Sorry if it's a long chapter! I did really enjoy writing this one though ;-) and I think you'll like it also!**

* * *

Eliza ran through some hallways, crying and heavily panting, not really knowing where she was going because she had not been in every room in the estate. Finally she found herself in a familiar hall staring at the large wooden doors to her bedroom. She entered the room, closed the door and fell to the ground. She was crying out as she had never cried before. She couldn't believe she had made such a fool out of herself. She couldn't believe she let him get to her like he did. Always had she been careful around men. Never had she grown any sort of attachment with them and now without any resistance she had let this one particular cruel Colonel break down all her walls and rip out her heart.  
Anger pushed away all feelings of hopelessness as she got up to pace the room. Furiously she ripped out the pins from her hair, wanting to ruin her ridiculously perfect hair due. After that she started pulling at the strings of her corset to take of her stupid ball gown. She ripped it off almost wildly, tearing up the white lace in the process. The beautiful green gown fell to the ground and Eliza stepped out of it.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Wearing only her under dress and bodice. Her hair falling down her waist. At least now she recognized herself again. Who was she fooling? Walking around in some expensive English dress with some beautiful lady's hair due… But as the anger left her body she felt weak and heartbroken again. The tears were running down her cheeks and all she wanted to do was curl up like a little ball on the ground and disappear into space.  
And so she did. She took place on the ground. Bringing her knees up to her chin and hugging them tightly as she continued to sob. Tears of betrayal, deceit, a stake through her heart. She wanted to stop crying and not be such a wimp. But she couldn't stop for she knew her feelings, against her better judgment, she had fallen in love with him.

She looked up when she heard her bedroom doors open up. "Eliza?" the Colonel called out as he entered her room. Witnessing her sitting on the ground bare footed and in her underdress.

"Go away!"

"Eliza my dear, what has upset you so?"

Hearing him using those pet names again made her furious. She quickly stood up, staring daggers at him.

"What is this Colonel? This... This thing we do…You and I… Why do we do it, why do we continue to do it?" she hysterically asked him as she tried to stop her sobbing.

The Colonel didn't quite know what to do. He walked towards her, wanting to take her into his arms but she pushed him off her with all the strength she still possessed.

"No! Don't touch me… please, not again, I cannot bare it any longer!" she yelled as she started to pace around the room.

"Eliza, please tell me what has upset you so" he said in a calm voice, eyeing how she paced around the room like a mad woman.

"YOU! You are upsetting me! I don't understand you… you're supposed to be my captor, but instead you're acting charming around me, you make me laugh, you make me feel wanted, desired even! And then all of a sudden we are kissing one day, I don't understand it! You're confusing me, why are you doing this to me! Is this your way of having fun with women? Because I thought I deserved better than this sort of treatment!"

"Eliza please calm down…"

"NO! I will not calm down, don't tell me to calm down! Just explain this to me! You owe me an explanation at least! … Why on earth, did you pick me to play your cruel tricks on?" she said as she dropped to the ground again, tiredness overtaking her body as she continued to cry.

"I never loved anyone, it was so safe…" she quietly let out gasping for air.

"And then you come along… Why Colonel… why did you make me fall in love with you…"

_She is in love with me…_

"Only to rip out my heart and cut it into a thousand pieces!" she said as she looked up at him furiously through tear filled eyes.

"Eliza" he said in a clear voice "I never dared to dream about you loving me. You make me laugh all the time…, you're more beautiful than any woman I have ever seen and I actually feel accepted and wanted when I am around you … And so… I want to…" he didn't know how to say this, for he had never said it to anyone before… "I want to spend the rest of my life with you…"

"WELL YOU CAN'T! Because you conveniently forgot to mention that you are engaged Colonel!" she yelled at him still staring daggers from her position on the floor.

He slowly walked closer to her as he took off her waist coat. So this is what had upset her so much. Bordon had told her he was engaged to activate some fireworks between them. When he sat down on his knees in front of her, he put his coat around her small shoulders. She didn't object, she was too tired because of the ranting and crying. She just leaned down at her hands and watched the tears fall on the ground as she bent her head not to look at him. He brought his hand up to her chin to lift her head.

"Eliza" he said as she tried to avoid his gaze "I am not engaged".

This startled her. Captain Bordon had said he was and why would he lie?

"Yes you are" she said in a softer voice "Captain Bordon said so himself"

"I know he did, but it isn't true. You can ask anyone in this mansion. Hell, you can write to my brothers if you wish" he said as he smiled at her "Why don't you go back to Captain Bordon and ask him again. He will most likely yell you the truth now"

Slowly the meaning of his words were being processed by her brain and started to make sense to her. He wasn't engaged. He loved her back. He wanted her by his side… for the rest of his life.

"You… you're not engaged?" she stammered.

"No"

"You actually… really… like me?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"Words cannot describe my feelings for you Eliza. Right now... looking at you... I feel as if my heart will burst out of my chest any second now" He raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears from her cheeks as he cupped her face in both hands, bringing his face closer to hers.

"I want you…" he softly whispered against her lips before he pressed them upon one another. He slowly but most passionately kissed her as her small hands found their way to his hands.

"To be mine" he finished his sentence as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

This time she was the one initiating to deepen the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body even more into his and entering his mouth with her tongue.  
He let his hand glide down her back, along her bottom, all the way down to her upper leg. Slowly she leaned back until she felt the hard wooden floor press beneath her, though it didn't bother her. As long as he would just continue to kiss her. He placed kisses down her neck which made her shiver.

Automatically she found herself grinding against him, longing for more passion. She wrapped her legs around his body as he lifted her from the ground. With her legs still around his waist he laid her on top of the bed, slowly climbing on top of her. She was already pulling at his shirt. He took it off in one swift move. Her little hands were gliding up and down his chest, admiring how beautiful he was. He really was amazingly handsome she thought as she placed kisses on his chest. He lowered himself to claim her lips once more, sucking on her lower lip and teasing her tongue with his.

"Eliza" he whispered in her ear as he kissed her earlobe "I want you to marry me"

A naughty look appeared in her eyes "Well, perhaps you should ask me nicely" she said as she gazed into his eyes with a dreamy look.

He playfully growled at her "Woman… you're insufferable. But so am I, so will you therefor do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked as he stared deep into her eyes, their noses almost touching.

"Okay" she said.

"You're supposed to say Yes I do"

"Oops, sorry, I didn't know that… Yes I do want to become your wife William" she answered as she drew his face to hers again, pressing her lips to his.  
He loved hearing her say his name for the very firs time and he loved the way she pronounced it.

He lowered his lips to her neck and slowly kissed her neckline, going further down to her collar bone and shoulders. Eliza quietly gasped and when he came back up, she let her hand slide over his chest, making their way down to his breeches. She wanted to find out what was down there, pressing hard against her hips every time they were performing their passionate play. She managed to undo a few buttons as she kept grinding against her, pushing her hips deep into his. His right hand was caressing her upper legs.

"Eliza, soon I won't be able to stop my love…" he said as he breathed in heavily.

"Then... don't stop" she whispered as she looked into his eyes pleadingly.

He gathered all the self-control in the world and slowly pushed himself off her, panting like a mad man.

"I've done you wrong in the past, several times" he said as he laid himself down next to her, pulling her into his arms "I wish to do this the right way and wait until we are married. I want you to have a proper wedding night, you deserve to have that" he said as he kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to him.

She moved her head from his chest to turn around and look up at him. She tried to make big eyes and pout a little.

He grinned evilly back at her "Don't even try that you little mynx" the playfulness in his voice gave him away, he wasn't actually angry with her. "You know I wouldn't want anything more than to make love to you right now, right here. But we shall wait, and we shall have a proper wedding night which will become one of the best nights of your life, I promise"

She smiled. "Okay" she said as she put her head back on his bare chest.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her fingers trailing different path's down his chest. She bit her lip and an evil thought crossed her mind. She brought her left hand lower, and lower… till it was rubbing up his groin where his hard manhood was still hiding away from her lustful desires.  
He groaned in passion as he quickly seized her wrist and brought it back to his shoulder again.

"Now… behave…"

"Sorry" she murmured playfully as she nuzzled up against him.

They laid still for a while, her head on his broad chest and his strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. Inhaling each other's sent was the simplest kind of happiness either of them had ever known. The silence which passed between wasn't awkward but pure satisfaction. Eliza had almost drifted off to sleep then and there, on her bed with the Colonel in it, when he softly stroke her hair and whispered to her:

"I want to make things right with your family Eliza, Your father won't just give us his blessing and I don't want you to be unwanted by your family".

At this Eliza lifted up her head to look him in the eyes.

"I forgot about that for a moment" she shamefully admitted.

"I don't think he will have forgotten me. We do not need his permission by law but… I need to make amends with him if I want to be welcomed into your family and into this country".

"This country?" she asked.

"Well, no matter how this war ends, I have no intention to return to London. Neither do I wish to take you away from the only home you've ever known. I thought perhaps you and I could start our own plantation here in the colonies?"

She brought her face closer to his as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "That would be nice" she answered with a bright smile on her face "Would you be alright if I continued to work as a doctor?" she asked.

He smiled down at her as he hugged her tightly to his chest "I shall never cage you like a bird my love, do as you wish. I merely ask for your love and your loyalty" he softly spoke into her hair.

"You already have those, and always will" she replied contently.

Satisfied by her words he closed his eyes and leaned back.

_How did I ever manage to get this lucky?_


	21. Prisoner exchange

**AN: Thanks for reviewing and thanks for correcting my English, it's not my native language.  
I realize I've used elements from Downton Abbey because when I was watching the episode about the dropsy disease I literally wrote down that I want to put that in my own story to make Eliza out to be intelligent. I like my women smart lol. I also know that Downton Abbey takes place early 1900 and that's when the disease has been discovered. But since I have no actual medical expertise I couldn't be bothered to find out what the common medical skill around 1780 was.**

**It's made me realize I never use any disclaimer though, so here is one:**

**I own the Patriot.**

**Lol, just kidding, of course I don't own The Patriot ;-)**

**But yes, I do think I'm funny.**

**On to the story!  
**

* * *

They had fallen asleep that night, on her bed. Her head still resting on his chest and his strong arm wrapped around her shoulder. He was accustomed to waking up early. So before she woke up he had eyed her for a while. Her long brown hair falling around her shoulders, tickling his hand slightly. She had slept quietly except for a few murmurs here and there.

"This is the second time in one week I catch you staring at me when I'm asleep" she suddenly said as she rose slowly to look him in the eye.

A smile crept to his lips "Am I not entitled to stare at my beautiful fiancé?" he asked.

She smiled back at him and nuzzled herself back into his chest. God he smelled good!

"Eliza…" he whispered softly into her hair "We need to get up and sneak out. We are moving to Fort Carolina today. So we better leave before people find out where we both spend the night".

"Let's see what happens when they find out!" she jokingly replied.

He dropped his head back on the pillows and laughed "Let's not" he said.

* * *

_Three days later_

They had been at Fort Carolina for 3 days now. They decided to tell no one about their secret engagement. Eliza would continue to take care of wounded soldiers and sometimes the Colonel would sneak up on her to steal a kiss or two. She was afraid people would notice though, she was walking around with this stupid grin on her face most of the time. The second day at the fort, Tavington had come back with a surprise. A beautiful engagement ring on a silver necklace so she didn't have to wear it around her finger until the world was allowed to know about their match made in heaven.

Eliza was less bored for wounded soldiers were more than enough around this estate. It was a lot less luxurious than Middleton Place but this made her a lot more comfortable. And she still had quite a nice room to herself. There was no library around but the Colonel had surprised her by bringing some books. One was about veterinary science which she was currently studying. It would come in handy at the plantation and perhaps even if Medusa would ever become ill. The fact that the Colonel knew she had been studying this, made her realize how sincerely interested he was.

One day Eliza saw Colonel Tavington coming back to Fort Carolina with 18 colonial soldiers. They were being put in a cage. Eliza gasped as she saw a few sergeant preparing the gallows… She froze and just stood in the window, watching the scene. After half an hour she realized the men were not being hanged… yet.

She kept pacing the room, she needed to do something. She could not just let her fellow countrymen die like this. Perhaps she could ask the Colonel… but he wasn't at the fort currently. Maybe it would be better to ask Cornwallis, he did owe her for saving his life, perhaps he would show some leniency if she requested it.  
When she strolled over to the windows again she saw a rider coming towards the fort. He was carrying a white flag and had a pair of great Danes with him. As he came closer Eliza couldn't believe her eyes…

"Father…" she softly whispered as she brought her hand to cover her open mouth.

As she watched him enter the Fort she quickly turned to the mirror. She was looking decently, a little too classy perhaps. Her purple satin dress was simple but still looking like a party dress in comparison to what she used to wear at the plantation. But no matter, father would recognize her surely. She quickly ran through the estate checking several rooms to find out where he was. She saw General O'Hara coming out of Cornwallis' office.

When she ran past the General she heard him mumble something about 'damn rebels' but she didn't care. All she could think about was seeing her father again.

"Father!" she called out as she ran into Cornwallis' office.

Benjamin couldn't believe what he saw when he turned around, even though he hoped to find her somewhere around the British regiment. "Eliza, it's really you, I cannot believe it" he said as he walked over to embrace her. They held each other tightly.

"Have they treated you well? Have they hurt you?" he launched a thousand questions at her as he slowly let go of her to look her in the face. He could see tears of happiness coming from her eyes also.

"I have been well father, they have not mistreated me at all, no one has hurt me I promise" she replied as she held on to his hands. "How is Gabriel and the others?" she anxiously asked him.

"Gabriel is fine, we brought him back"

"I thought that was you!" Eliza replied smiling as her stomach slightly twisted at the thought of 20 soldiers dying at her father's hands. Relieved as she was that her brother was saved, she had a problem that 20 innocent young men had to die for it though.

"You know me well" he replied whilst smiling at his oldest daughter.

"So, what has brought you here father? Have you come to take me with you?" she asked in agony. Thinking how she would love to see her family again but not wanting to leave Colonel Tavington either…

"I have to talk with General Cornwallis about a prisoner exchange. But now that I know you are here, I will claim you also. You are my daughter and not a prisoner of war so be ready to leave soon Eliza"

At this she hugged her father once more. "I'll be ready" she answered as she kissed his cheek and quickly turned around to get to her room.

Soon after Eliza had left, Cornwallis and O'Hara entered the room. Cornwallis was extremely happy to find that his two dogs had been well taken care off. Though they didn't seem to recognize him anymore. The man who had come to talk about prisoner exchange refused to give him his name. Benjamin had been known as "The Ghost" to the British.  
Cornwallis made it clear that he would appreciate to get back his personal belongings. Benjamin had no objections to this and promised to do so as soon as possible. They continued their discussion when Cornwallis pleaded to stop the targeting of officers.

"Oh Colonel, imagine the utter chaos that would follow from leaderless armies having at each other. There must be gentlemen in command to lead and when necessary restrain their men" Cornwallis explained.

"Restrain them from say… targeting civilians, women, children and such" Benjamin replied.

Cornwallis sighed agitatedly "That is a separate issue".

"I consider them linked" Benjamin replied as he explained that he would order the shooting of officers as long as they would target civilians.

When Benjamin brought the discussion to prisoner exchange, Cornwallis was surprised. He didn't expect this man to come and ask for the lives of these 18 rebels he held captive. They were to be hanged. Benjamin told him he had taken captive 18 officers which would be hanged if Cornwallis would not let his men go. He picked up the looking glass to show Cornwallis the 18 officers he had taken hostage.

Cornwallis sighed. "You know, this is not the conduct of a gentleman" he said.

"If the conduct of your officers is the measure of a gentleman, then I'll take that as a compliment" Benjamin replied. "Get my men?"

Before Benjamin left the room he turned around to face Cornwallis once more "General, the young lady which one of your officers is holding hostage at this Fort, is my daughter. I am taking her back to our family" without waiting for a reply he turned back around and left to get his men.

Eliza was waiting at the door for her father to come and collect her. As she saw Benjamin walking towards her he gave her a slight nod and smiled. He placed his hand on her back to guide her outside. She didn't carry any belongings with her since she didn't actually own anything around this fort. Except for Medusa who she held tightly against her chest. She had hidden the necklace with engagement ring inside her dress.

"Who gave you the kitten?" her father asked her suspiciously as they made their way out side.

Eliza swallowed hard. "No one, I found it" she lied. She had never lied to her father. And he knew she wasn't being truthful.

As they walked down the stairs towards the gates surrounding the estate, the gates opened and in came Colonel Tavington and Captain Bordon. Eliza's eyes widened and she tried to suppress a gasp but Benjamin noticed her reaction. He wondered if she was scared of this man. This was the man who had taken his son and daughter away from him. This was the man who had been the main reason for him to interfere in this war which he wanted to stay far away from for the sake of his family. He would never forget this man. They eyed each other as the officers rode in and Benjamin walked passed him with his daughter by his side.

Colonel Tavington looked Benjamin in the eyes fiercely. He remembered this man. From the plantation he burned and where he took Eliza. Where he took the rebel boy in order to hang him as a spy. Later he had been relieved that the boy was saved for Eliza would probably never come to love him if he had hung her brother.

_So this is Eliza's father. And he came to collect his daughter._

"Release the prisoners!" General' O'Hara called out.

As the prisoners were being released, Tavington got of his horse and angrily made his way over to his General.

"General, what is this?" he asked in suprise.

"Prisoner exchange" O'Hara answered him "He has 18 of our officers"

"Who is he? I recognize him" Tavington answered as he thought about the man who was about to take his fiancé. It was clearly her father but he didn't know his name for she had never told her last name.

"He is the commander of the militia. Your Ghost. And your little pet? That's his daughter…" O'Hara answered haughtily

At this, something inside Colonel Tavington snapped.

_The Ghost is her father. That little viper!_

He seized his sword, he would take this man down right now!

"Seize that sword Colonel!" the General called after him. "He rode in under a white flag for a formal parley".

"This is madness" the Colonel said through gritted teeth, thinking about all the tricks this Ghost had pulled on him and his men in the last couple of months. He wondered how much Eliza had known about this, had she been in on it?

"If you harm him, you condemn our officers" O'Hara pulled him back into reality.

"With all due respect sir, he has killed as many officers in the last two months" the Colonel replied to O'Hara.

"He has shown no aggression here, hence he cannot be touched" O'Hara replied sternly.

"Has he not?" The Colonel replied as an evil plan popped up into his head. He turned around and quickly made his way over to the gates to call after the militia leader.

"You! So You're The Gost are you! I remember you… On that farm… With that stupid little girl"

At this Benjamin stopped abruptly. Eliza dropped her shoulders and gazed to the ground, her hair falling around her face. As if the situation wasn't painful enough the Colonel was really going to provoke her father to get him to attack?

"Did you think she's died? Mhm? Do you not think I personally took_ real... good..._ _care_ of her?"

Her father turned around and walked back to the Colonel. Without saying a word he just stood in front of him, waiting for whatever else Tavington had in mind.

"You know… it's an ugly business doing ones duty… But with a young lady like your daughter... it was a real pleasure" he spoke to the mind of Benjamin, smirking whilst working out his plan.

Slowly Eliza strolled back over to the two men.

"Father" she softly whispered as she stood next to him "It's not true, nothing happened" she said as she gave Colonel Tavington a painful look, pleading him to stop this nonsense. Tavington just narrowed his eyes at her, still convinced she had known more about this Ghost than she showed him.

Benjamin ignored his daughter, though he heard her words. "Before this war is over I am going to kill you" he replied back at Tavington.

"Why wait?" Tavington replied as he took the sword from Benjamin as tried to place it in his hand. Eliza dropped her head and closed her eyes tightly, waiting for what to come next.

"Soon" Benjamin said, at this he swiftly turned around and walked over to his man.

Eliza couldn't move for just a few second. She slowly brought her head back up and opened her eyes, finding herself staring into the Colonel's eyes. A look of betrayal mixed with anger of the purest kind. Her eyes filled themselves with tears.

"I didn't know" she quietly said. Then she turned around and followed her father out.


	22. More confessions

**AN: We are in luck for I am sick at home so I can't go to work which means: more fanfiction! :-D  
I will be going on a holiday from July 11****th**** until July 17****th****. I am bringing a laptop so will most likely at least update once… I cannot stay away from you guys or from Tavington for that matter.**  
**I am going to Scotland. If any of you have any ideas what I really HAVE TO SEE there, tell me. I love nature by the way.**

**P.S. HannahBanana112, I know what you mean, when you read something and you can't read further than the chapter which ends sad… it's frustrating, I usually start pulling out my hair when that happens. Though I do not recommend this!  
P.S.2:**** I just wanted to reply to Lisette Jenkins's last review: I can't give spoilers down here where everyone can read them :-P If you have an account or something I can of course let you know through a private message!  
**

* * *

"She has changed!" Benjamin raised his voice in frustration as he paced the living room of Charlotte Selton's plantation. "When I found her there, at the Fort, I didn't understand how she could still be alive. She was wearing a silver necklace which was gone when I took her with me. But Eliza doesn't own a silver necklace! Then she takes with her a kitten which she said she found but I knew she was lying! She has never lied to me!"

"Why don't you sit down Benjamin" Charlotte said in an attempt to sooth him.

He strolled over to a chair and sighed whilst seating himself down. "I saw her reaction when The Butcher rode in… She isn't scared easily but she gasped in horror and yet she tells me nothing has happened… You have to talk to her Charlotte" he sighed as he rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes.

"I will" Charlotte said as she rested her hand on Benjamin's shoulder.

* * *

In the meantime Eliza had been chatting away with Gabriel on the porch. He had so much to tell her about the war. She had mixed feelings but tried not to show him. When he told her he was engaged to Anne she was excited out of her mind.

"When will the wedding be?" she asked.

"Soon, as soon as I can get Anne and her family to come" Gabriel replied.

"My God, Gabe, I am so happy for you! I know Anne well, I've tended to her father when he had a bad case of the flu a couple of years ago"

"I know, she told me" Gabriel replied with a huge smile on his face. "She is very fond of you and can't wait to be your sister in law".

"Anne is such a lovely person. And not afraid to speak her mind so you'll have your hands full" Eliza said as she let out a small giggle.

"Well I've had many years of practice with a woman like that, thanks to you dear sister" he said as he hugged her tightly. They laughed together warmly.

* * *

Benjamin and Gabriel had to get back to their men after they had escorted Eliza to Charlotte's plantation. In the afternoon Eliza spend most of her time catching up with her younger siblings. They were all glad to see her back and had missed her a great big deal. Thomas and Nathan told her about the men they killed in order to get Gabriel back. They were quite proud of it. Eliza remained silent. Later on Margaret and Susan joined her in the living room to show her the tunes Aunt Charlotte had taught them to play on the Piano forte. She was proud of their little sisters.

After dinner Eliza seated herself down at the porch, in need for some quiet alone time. She had changed into one of aunt Charlotte's dresses. A light blue one which looked suspiciously a lot like the party dress her aunt had given her (though it wasn't white) when she was about to visit the Garrick's plantation. Which she never reached because of a certain wounded Colonel who needed her help.  
She stared into the distance and tried to analyze her mixed feelings. She was so happy to see her family again and didn't regret coming with her father, as if she had a choice. She had missed them so much and yet she wondered if she would see the Colonel again. She was missing him right now... Would he miss her though? Were they even still engaged? He had looked upon her with such a painful look of betrayal on his face… that moment she thought her heart would break out of her chest. Eliza softly patted Medusa as the kitten relaxed on Eliza's lap.

"That's quite a lovely gift to give a young lady, they must have been fond of you over there" aunt Charlotte said as she came outside to sit with Eliza on the Porch. Her aunt was smiling at her, giving away that there was no need to lie to her.

Eliza just smiled at her, she wouldn't try and convince her aunt that she found the kitten. She did not want to lie anymore.

"I took care of British soldiers during the time I was a captive. They treated me with kindness" Eliza replied.

The two women sat together in silence for a while.

"Eliza dearest…" Charlotte wavered "When I was in your room and folded your purple dress, a necklace fell out of it, with a ring on it. Would you perhaps like to tell me where you got it?" she asked as she took Eliza's hand in hers.

"It was a gift" Eliza answered as she turned her gaze away from aunt Charlotte.

"That's quite a lovely gift" Charlotte replied smiling down at her.

"Yes… yes it is" Eliza said, staring into the distance again.

The two women remained silent for a while. Eliza didn't want to lie to her aunt but she could hardly tell her the truth either. Besides, was there still a truth to be told? Was there still an engagement?  
Charlotte looked over Eliza's face. She noticed a painful look, Eliza must have been deep in her own thoughts. Being a woman she could sense exactly what was going on here: heart ache.

"You know why I never got married?" she asked her niece.

"Because my father is too blind to see your love for him or take notice of his own feelings?" Eliza replied as she smiled at her aunt.

Charlotte was sure she turned bright red at the remarks of her niece.

She smiled shyly "That too… but before I knew him I met a man. It's a long time ago. It happened at the end of the French Indian war in 1763. I was very young… His name was Philippe and he was a French. He was a General and we met in St. Louis where he had been on a diplomatic mission".

Charlotte sighed for a moment, not sure how to continue her story. She thought herself such a coward at that time.

"He rescued me once, when I fell of my horse, it was quite funny" she continued as she giggled at the memory. "We started talking and just couldn't stop. We had been riding for a long time. He had seen so much of the world and he had the most beautiful dark eyes. He asked me to meet with him another day and so I did. And this is what we did several days in a week: meeting up in secret, stealing kisses and hiding away from society. The war was almost over and he wanted to take me back to France. I would go to the end of the world with him… But when I told my father he threatened to cast me out. In his eyes Philippe was the enemy and had killed his fellow countrymen. My father chose to ignore all the Frenchmen he killed himself, conveniently overlooking the fact that those men also have families and loved ones. He did not give his consent for me to marry Philippe".

Charlotte held her breath for a moment. "Philippe asked me to come with him in secret… But I was a coward and I never showed up the night he expected me to come aboard his ship. Until this day I curse my own cowardness, not taking a chance for love. You see if it would not have worked out then my family would have welcomed me back, I am sure about that. A father's love for his children is unshakable. So if you're worried about Benjamin, or your brothers and sisters… don't be".

Eliza had listened to her aunt's story with fascination. Wondering how her aunt could tell she was in love.

"Now I've told you my story" Charlotte said as she leaned back into the chair "Why don't you tell me about the man you fell in love with".

Eliza told her aunt everything. How she met the Colonel who was heavily wounded and she tended to his wounds after which she escorted him back. She told her about the conversations they had and the awkwardness in the beginning but how they loosened up later on. She shamefully admit how the Colonel had raided their home and taken her hostage. Then she was forced to work as a medic and ran into James Wilkins who actually backed off thanks to the Colonel. After that the Colonel had saved her from almost getting raped by three soldiers. Charlotte was surprised to hear this and felt immensely thankful to this Colonel she didn't know. Eliza left the part out where she tried to escape due to the wicked comment the Colonel had made about her always being useful, like for instance to warm his bed…

"When I became ill he took care of me, he was considerate and thoughtful" Eliza said as she blushed under her aunt's gaze.

"Did he give you the kitten?"

"He did" Eliza replied "So I wouldn't be lonely when I had nothing to do".

Charlotte smiled "People are not purely good or evil Eliza, you know this. I know this is what you have always believed and you are right. This Colonel might be known to be one of the fiercest on the battlefield, but he seems to genuinely care for you and mindset on keeping you safe" her aunt replied.

"He is very funny also and he likes my jokes… and I find him… very handsome… we also kissed one night, well not just once" she blushingly admitted.

Charlotte coughed slightly "Have you… well.. uhm… lain with him?" she asked hesitatingly.

"No!" Eliza eyes shot up to meet her aunt's "No I most definitely have not" she replied as she thought about the times when they almost slept with each other.

"I am sorry to ask this, I just have to ask because… well you know where babies come from since you have helped deliver several yourself. I just needed to make sure…".

"I know, I know, it's fine I understand why you ask, do not apologize. But he has been the perfect gentleman and never tried anything like that".

_If anyone did try… it was me _Eliza thought to herself.

Eliza continued to tell her aunt about the ball she had been to and how she saw the boat explode. About Captain Bordon who had lied about the Colonel's engagement and how this set off some fireworks between them.

"After all of this… he told me he loved me and wants to marry me after this war" Eliza softly said.

Charlotte smiled "Then marry him. Don't be a coward like I was Eliza. You will regret it"

"But what about father…"

"I will talk with Benjamin, it will take time but he is not like my father, he would not cast you off. Besides, I won't let him."

"But aunt Charlotte… I am not sure there even still is an engagement… When father came to take me away… the Colonel found out that the famous Ghost is my father and he looked at me which such a… look of disdain and… hurt".

"He is wounded, he might feel you have betrayed him. But if this is love, then it is true and steadfast, it will survive. Love is an ever fixed mark that looks upon tempest and is never shaken" Charlotte replied wisely.

Eliza managed to relax after telling her story to aunt Charlotte. Her aunt didn't judge or condemn her at all so that was a good start. And she was right: if the Colonel truly loved her, and she believed he did, then his love would not simply evaporate because her father was his enemy. He had known from the beginning they were on different sides. Eliza decided this had not changed things between them, it just made it a little more difficult.

Later that night she was sitting in aunt Charlotte's rooms reading a book. As her aunt had done, though she fell asleep after a while. But Eliza didn't fall asleep easily, especially when things were restless as they were. She had changed into her nightgown and put the necklace back on after her aunt handed it to her, reassuring her that it was the right thing to do. And now the two women who had talked all night about Eliza's adventures, were sitting quietly in Charlotte's room.

Suddenly Nathan and Thomas stormed into the room.

"Aunt Charlotte, Eliza, wake up! Someone's coming" Nathan said.

"Get the boys!" Charlotte told Eliza as she made her way to the girl's room.

Charlotte and Eliza quickly gathered the children as they ran downstairs quickly. Nathan stopped for a second to see who was approaching the house: Cavalry. Carrying torches.

"This way" Aunt Charlotte instructed as she guided the children to the dining room.

The doors to the plantation house opened up and 10 Dragoons entered the house. Charlotte turned around, panting heavily. "Follow me" she instructed as she made her way over to the cellar doors which led to the kitchen. The children went down one by one as Eliza and Nathan checked to see where the Dragoons were.

"Samuel, get down there fast!" Nathan told his younger brother.

Eliza saw a torch lighting up behind the dining room window. She knew there was no time. If she and Nathan would now go down into the kitchen, she would give away their hiding spot.

"Hide!" she whispered to Nathan.

He closed the door to the kitchens and Eliza hid under the table whilst Nathan found a hiding spot behind the massive sofa on the other side of the room.

The dining room doors opened and Colonel Tavington stepped in. He was positive the smell of fear welcomed him as he entered.


	23. Caught again

**AN: After publishing this I will leave for a week. And hopefully still be able to update. No wait: I will update, promise :-) At least withint three days from now!  
**

* * *

He walked into the room, the spurs of his boots clicking with every step he took. He slowly made his way through the dining room, reaching the fire place. He thought about what he would do if he would find the Martin children… Eliza Martin, so that was her family name then. He had planned to take them hostage so the Ghost would give himself up.  
He walked back to the dinner table, feeling the candle's fuse. It was still warm, they could still be here. If he would find Eliza… he would find out how much she knew exactly and why she had betrayed him the way she did. Though he doubted how much Eliza had exactly known about her father's whereabouts. When he raided her home, her father wasn't fighting the war, he was taking care of his children… since then she had not seen him so there was a possibility she was an absolute innocent in all of this…

When Eliza saw his boots close to the dining table she was sure he knew someone was there. She had been too scared to breath the entire time. He stood still next to her hiding place. Eliza gasped in shock. She had tried to suppress it but she was trembling with fear and in dire need of air. She was quiet… Perhaps he wouldn't hear.  
He continued to walk away from the table, towards the door. Eliza dared to quietly breath now, he didn't hear, she was safe, he was leaving.

"There's no one in the house sir" James Wilkins said as he stood in the doorway.

"They can't be far" Tavington replied "Search the outbuildings and the woods, quickly".

"Yes Sir" Eliza heard James Wilkins reply.

Still resting on her hands and knees under the table, she heard the Colonel cock his gun. Her eyes widened in shock and she quickly closed them, she remembered doing so when she was a little girl. As if others wouldn't see her as long as she didn't see them. She heard the Colonel making his way back to her hiding place. In order to find more protection she brought her hands up to her face and tightly pressed them against it.

The table cloth was pulled away and suddenly she felt a strong hand yank her wrist hard and she was pulled from under the table. As she opened her eyes she found a pair of icy blue eyes meeting hers. He pulled her into a standing position, pressed her against the wall with his hand around her throat. Then he brought his mouth to her right ear.

"I am not even going to ask where your siblings are, because you won't tell me, will you?" he whispered through gritted teeth as Eliza's eyes rested on Nathan who eyed her from his own hiding spot. She widened her eyes and shook her head slightly to let him know to stay there and be quiet.

"No I won't" she replied quietly "Besides, they are gone and safe by now".

He slowly removed his hand from her throat and took a step back so his body wasn't pressing against hers anymore. He looked her over, standing in her nightgown trying to catch her breath, she looked so vulnerable. Eliza was now finally able to breath properly. She gasped for air as she pressed herself against the wall. She had been eying his boots whilst trying to catch her breath, as if it would be less real if she would just not look at him. Slowly she brought her head up to meet his gaze. She saw he had put away his gun and was looking at her. She expected a look of anger but he didn't seem to be angry any longer, he seemed confused or … hurt even? His look had changed when he saw the necklace she was wearing, with his ring still on it.

"I didn't know about my father Colonel" she quietly whispered as she looked into his eyes.

In one swift move he had his arm around her waist and his other hand on the back of her neck. She expected anything but this: he pressed his lips on hers and fiercely kissed her, pressing her more against the wall as if somehow their bodies would merge if he would just press harder. He roughly parted her lips. She could sense this wasn't anger, this was passion. Rough passion so to speak.  
She let him have his way, feeling his tongue explore her mouth, his hands trailing a path down her hips and back up to feel her back again. She snaked her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss some more by sucking on his lips and entering his mouth. She felt as if the world could crumble around them but they would't notice a thing.

Then he broke the kiss and put his hand around her upper arm "Come with me" he commanded her coldly.

When they got outside Captain Wilkins walked towards them with a few slaves.

"Where are they hiding?" the Colonel asked the slave. He didn't know.

The Colonel was still holding Eliza with his left hand. And suddenly, without showing any emotion he pulled his trigger on the slave. The Colonel featured a bored look on his face as Eliza gasped in horror. For the first time she was being confronted with a cold and careless Colonel who was able to kill without showing any sign of emotion. Her eyes were becoming teary eyed but she refused to cry. She needed to stay strong and pray her younger siblings would have gotten away safely.

Just when the Colonel wanted to command his men to torch the house, a dozen militia fired off shots in the air. They were sitting on their horses on the other end of the field. The Colonel grinned, his Ghost was in his reach finally.

"To horse!" The Colonel called out to his men.

* * *

They had been riding the entire night and the Colonel had hardly spoken a word to her. Not that she felt much like talking. He had brought her back to camp around 4 in the morning and she quickly fell asleep on his cot. When she woke up she slowly opened her eyes and without making a sound just watched him. He was sitting at his desk, no waistcoat, his hair hanging loosely around his shoulders and he looked tired and messed up. His elbows were resting on the desk and his head was hiding behind his hands which he used to massage his temples.  
He didn't notice how Eliza slowly rose and made her way over to him. Not until he felt her small gentle hands resting on both his shoulders. He sighed and leaned back, his head resting against her chest.

"Are you okay?" she quietly asked him.

Her gentleness surprised him. After last night, when he had treated her roughly and came to take her family hostage, she still cared? Last night he had practically thrown her down at the cot and left without a word.

He sighed "No I am not". His voice sounded like a man beaten down.

"Sorry, stupid question" she said as she moved away from him.

"Don't go… come here." He said. It was more a request than a command.

She slowly moved back to him and took her position behind him once more. Her finger made their way up to his head again, softly massaging his temples as he had done just a minute ago. It seemed to relax him as he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of her fingers fighting his throbbing head ache. She made different path's down his neck and back up to his hair where she started massaging his skull. He softly moaned, this felt good and his head was hurting less by the minute, quivering slightly under her touch though. As she continued to massage and caress him, she felt there was need to clear the air between them.

"I did not know my father was the famous Ghost of the Colonies Colonel"

'William" he interrupted her.

"Excuse me?"

"We were are on first name basis, nothing has changed" he replied.

She smiled, a feeling of happiness exploding in her stomach. Nothing has changed he said!

"Okay, William then, I did not know about my father, before you took me and Gabriel away, he had no wish to fight this war" she said as he fingers lowered themselves down his cheek, further down his neck, lingering on his chest where she started caressing his muscles.

"Eliza, you don't need to explain yourself to me, I knew from the beginning we were on different sides"

"Not different sides" she interrupted him "Just different political beliefs"

"Fair enough" he replied "What I want to say is that… I don't know what to do Eliza, I'm sitting here between two fires. I am bound to capture your father for he has killed many of our officers. Cornwallis wants him captured and the militia to surrender for they do not play by the rules of war. Many Loyalist homes have been raided by militia"

Eliza suddenly felt very heavy hearted. Even though she knew a confrontation between the Colonel and her father would eventually occur. She wished it didn't have to be so.

"What will happen if you capture him?" she asked in agony.

Colonel Tavington took her wrist and brought her around to his other side where he pulled her into his lap. He slowly brought his hand up to her face where he gently caressed her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

"Cornwallis will want to hang him or thrown in jail. Perhaps I won't capture him though. He has escaped me many times, he is witty like his daughter" he said as he smiled mischievously at Eliza and pulled her closer to claim her lips. Whenever she experienced the sweet sensation of his lips, she almost forgot all the trouble around them.

"But my father wants to kill you, because of me. And when Gabriel finds out, he might just beat him to it" Eliza whispered, hurt dripping of her voice.

"Then you must trust that I am the best soldier these Colonies have ever seen and I won't get killed. I will not kill your family. And I promise not to die either"

"Not ever? Because that's kind off cocky" she jokingly replied.

"Well, not in the upcoming 50 years or so" he answered, grinning widely at her.

She giggled "Sooooo... Colonel Tavington..., Am I now your captive again?"

An evil smirk crossed his face "Only if you wish to be" he replied.

"mmm" she moaned softly as she brought her hand to the nape of his neck and gently placed her lips on his again. He closed his eyes and wrapped his hands around her, deepening the kiss as he felt the sensation of her warm body through her nightgown.

"You do know my offer still stands right? I want to marry you and I will come and get you after this war… that is… if you will still have me"

She leaned her forehead against his, their noses touching slightly. "Of course I'll still have you, I always will".

* * *

**AN: I very much hope you are all satisfied with this chapter so I can be at ease and leave for a holiday now. I don't actually like going on holiday lol... And sorry for the aweful cliffhangers from the last two chapters *evillaugh*! ;-D  
So, I'll just be glad when I'm back next monday evening ;-)  
But like I said: until then, I have a laptop and I shall still update!**


	24. When we kiss Fire

**AN: I just wanted to let you know why this story is called "Gaslight".**  
**Gaslight, is a song by Emilie Autumn. One of my most beloved performers.**  
**It's from her new album "Fight like a girl" and the song is about a institution for mentally insane women, a few centuries ago.  
Gaslight is also a way to make you doubt your own memory or believes by using this form of psychological abuse. Now you know :-P Sorry if it's weird!**  
**Listen to the song anyway, not the live version, the album version! :-P  
**

* * *

"Tavington has a list of our men! He is burning the homes of those who have family in the militia until the Ghost and his men turn themselves in!" the reverend called out to Benjamin as he entered their hiding spot in the Black Swamp.

"How many homes so far?" Benjamin asked in disbelief.

"Seven homes along the Santee" the reverend answered, still out of breath.

* * *

_In the meantime:_

"This town has given aid to Benjamin Martin and his rebels" the Colonel said as he made his way into the church of Pembroke. "I wish to know his whereabouts... So...anyone who comes forward, may be forgiven their treason".

The people of Pembroke had gathered at the church but remained silent. They were scared though, all very familiar with who this man was.

"Very well, you've had your chance" he said as he meant to turn his horse around and leave.

But one of the men stopped him. He was willing to talk and told the Colonel that mister Howard gave Benjamin Martin and his men supplies. Howard and his family tried to shut him up but it was no use. This man was obviously desperate to live. He told Tavington everything about the Black Swamp and the Old Spanish Mission.

"This man here?" Tavington asked as he smirked down evilly at mister Howard "The Black Swamp you say? By the Old Spanish Mission..."

"Thank you very much" he said as he put his Dragoon helmet back on. "Shut the doors".

As Tavington left the church, the desperate man who betrayed his countrymen, called out to him "But... you said we would be forgiven!"

"And indeed you may!" Tavington called back to him as a sergeants closed the doors. "But you'll still be punished" he finished his sentence with an evil smirk.

"Ready to fire the church at your order sir" James Wilkins said as he rode up to Tavington.

"The church?" he scoffed "Are you bloody mental? Burn their homes, leave the church".

James Wilkins gave him a confused look as Tavington turned around and rode off. He had gotten the information he came for.

* * *

Benjamin, Gabriel and the rest of their militia men, were riding along the Santee, following the trail of burned down houses. Their families out on the street, crying and hysteric. When they reached Pembroke they found Anne Howard, or rather Anne Martin and her parents. Especially Anne and her mother were not easily calmed down. Mister Howard however was glad to see no one dying by the hands of the Butcher. "It's just a house, we can rebuild, be thankful we're still alive" he had told his family in a poor attempt to calm them down.

Gabriel stood quiet somewhere on the edge of Pembroke, watching the people cry and try to ease each other's pain with empty words. He thought about what Nathan had told him the night of his wedding. About the Butcher, coming to their aunt's plantation. He could have been mistaken but Nathan was almost 14 and not a little kid with a wild imagination. And he swore to Gabriel that this Butcher had touched their sister… he had kissed her and according to Nathan she didn't struggle at all…

Gabriel frowned, thinking about the possible scenarios. He decided that this was more than enough. This had to end. First the raiding of their home, he almost got hanged and Eliza had been gone for a long time, their whole family thought she was dead but the Colonel had her all that time… And if he had to believe his words, it was an enjoyable time even though Eliza swore nothing had happened. Gabriel decided that the Colonel must have forced himself upon her, this was the most realistic option for Eliza would NEVER betray her family like that. She would never allow a man like that into their lives. But then why did he feel uneasy inside? Why was there a little voice inside his head that perhaps he was mistaken and Eliza did actually have an affair with this Butcher? He thought about it… the ring… the kitten… the kissing…

He clenched his fists. _The Butcher needs to die._

* * *

Eliza had woken up that morning with a strong sense of danger inside of her. She couldn't quite grasp what was going on but something would go wrong today, she just knew it. Her stomach was twisted in knots and her head throbbing like mad. She had been sitting in Tavington's tent after he brought her back to the military camp. She had taken care of a few wounded but there really wasn't much to do. So she tried easing her mind by reading a book he had brought her when she was still at the estate.

Late in the afternoon a servant came to get her. He had obviously made his way to her in a hurry, for he was still trying to catch his breath when he reached her.

"Miss, you must come quick. The Colonel is wounded".

Eliza's eyes shot up. She knew exactly which Colonel the servant meant. She quickly followed the younger boy who had come to get her, to the medical tent. There he was lying, blood coming from his lower stomach area.

"William" she whispered in shock as she almost ran to him.

Without saying another word she quickly started working on the wound. She saw it wasn't very deep and the bullet hadn't pierced any crucial organs. Her reaction had been a little… strong. But when she first saw him the immediate thought of losing him came to her mind. And she wouldn't have been able to bare it. She took the bullet out quite easily and pressed a bandage on it.

"Here, let me help you to sit up, I need to bandage around you, press this tightly against your wound" she said as she took his hand and helped him up.

"So what happened?" she said as she bandaged around his lower stomach area.

"We were camped around a small creek when some militia men attacked" he answered her. "I'm the only one who got to live. Bordon died" he said as he looked to the ground. Pain showing in his narrowed eyes.

Eliza gasped softly. "Oh William, I'm so sorry for you" she said as she brought her hand to his cheek. Her eyes were filling up with tears. She had been very fond of Captain Bordon and he was Tavington's dear friend which made it extra painful.

"Eliza, there is something else..." the Colonel said after which he paused and took a deep breath. "Your brother was there… Leading the militia to us"

Eliza's eyes filled themselves with excruciating fear. "Is he… did he…" she tried to say.

"He is still alive. I knocked him out with the end of my pistol. But he is the one who did this to me. They want me dead Eliza, he came for me, I saw it in his eyes. The entire fight he was eyeing me, trying to find a way to get to me. This…" he said as he pointed out his wounded area "…is his doing".

Eliza didn't know what to say. She clenched her wrists. Feeling a sudden anger for the brother who tried to take her fiancé away. He placed his legs on either side of her hips and pulled her into his embrace slowly. She snaked her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry William, I've complicated things" she whispered in his ear.

He closed his eyes and smiled, breathing in the scent of her freshly washed hair. "You are worth all the complication in the world my dear" he told her.

She smiled shyly. "Smooth talker" she giggled.

He laughed and brought her face back to where he could see her. Without saying a word he pulled her face closer to his and placed her lips on his own. "Thank you for not… taking his life" she murmured in between kisses.

"mmm don't worry about it…" he moaned. "I was being selfish… didn't want to drive his sister away" he murmured back at her lips as he continued to kiss her. His hands slid up and down her back, feeling the curves of her hips as she had her hands entangled in his loose hair.

"You will be missed tomorrow Colonel" Cornwallis said as he walked in, not the least bit surprised by the sight he witnessed. He had long suspected something going on between Eliza and his Colonel. He was fond of the young lady and hoped she had a good influence on this gentleman who was, in his eyes, far from being a gentleman. Eliza quickly took a few steps back and started cleaning up the medical mess around them.

"Missed my Lord?" Tavington replied with a confused look on his face.

"Your wound".

"It's nothing" Tavington replied agitatedly as he quickly got up. "I am as ever, ready to serve"

"Very well… Make sure you do… I stand on the eve of the greatest victory of my career, don't fail me"

"My efforts, in no small measure, have brought you here" Tavington replied through clenched teeth.

"I grant you that small measure, despite your failure to deliver the Ghost to me".

"Thus far".

Cornwallis walked up to Tavington "I will not tolerate a premature charge born of your eagerness for glory… Wait for my order" Cornwallis said as he turned around to leave.

"Or you may abandon any hope for Ohio" He added as he left the Colonel to stare after him.

They remained quiet for a while. Tavington taking place back on the medical cot, sighing.

"Ohio?" Eliza asked as she brought her eyebrows up.

He looked up at her. "It's where I could get a piece of land when we win this war"

"IF you win this war" she corrected as she winked at him.

He smirked at her playfully and pulled her back into his arms, claiming her lips.

"You know, once we are married I am entitled to spank you for cheeky comments like that"

"mmm Can't wait" she moaned through his kisses.


	25. To do or not to do

"Did you… or did you not…. personally make this list of militia men James Wilkins!" Eliza asked the captain sternly once more.

After she had left Colonel Tavington in his own tent to rest for tomorrow's battle, she had found a long list of names. Her father and brother were on it also. It was a list of all the families who had men fighting for the militia under her father's command. And there was only one person who knew all these families: James Wilkins. That pathetic little low life traitor. She had ran to his tent, asked if he was decent (a naked James Wilkins was the last thing on earth she'd want to experience) and then stormed in. He denied at first but then said that they deserved what they had coming to them.

"I did" he simply replied with a slight grin on his face.

"How could you…" she said in a dangerously low voice "They were your neighbors! Some of them were your friends James! They are fighting for OUR freedom. It's one thing to be on another side, but you're a lot worse… you… you are Judas!" she stammered.

"It is not our freedom you daft woman! I do not wish for this so called freedom. They are being ridiculous, they want a free country, independent and what not!" he scoffed "Please, don't make me laugh, the British will wipe their faces off the earth and…".

"So you are just scared?" Eliza interrupted him "You are scared and so you join those who you think to be strongest. But you're wrong. We will win, for we have very little to lose since the current situation under English tyranny is already a living hell!" she paused for a second "But we have everything to win… and so we will." She finished as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I do not have to answer to you, you pestilent child. Everyone knows about the extra 'care' Colonel Tavington has received the last couple of weeks… from his very own favorite doctor" James Wilkins shot back at her.

"You know nothing about me or Will… Colonel Tavington" she said as she turned scarlet, realizing how she almost said his first name and gave them away.

He cocked his eyebrow, understanding they were on first name basis. "Well, well, well, Eliza, I never took you for a Redcoat's whore" he said as he smirked down at her. "Tssk, what will your father say when he finds out… I think I shall write him a letter, for your own safety of course" he said in a sardonic voice.

"Screw you!" She screamed as she launched herself at him to smack him in the face. But he quickly grabbed her little wrist and twisted her arm on her back, bending her forward over his table.  
His groin was pressing hard against her bottom and her face pressed roughly on the table.

"You really shouldn't have done that you little tramp" he sneered through his clenched teeth "Your father should have taught you a lesson a long time ago. But I guess since he was never there, you turned into what you are today: a weak and unstable woman who belongs in a madhouse!"

Just as he finished his sentence she stomped on his foot as fiercely as she could. The adrenaline in her veins made her a lot stronger than she usually was. Wilkins screeched in pain as the heel of her shoe dug itself into his foot. Eliza quickly took the chance to turn around and push him off her.

"Weak you say?" she asked sarcastically "I'll show you weak!" she launched herself at him again, slightly overestimating her powers against a man as big as James Wilkins. Or any man for that matter. She could only think about one thing: to get rid of this monster for the rest of her life. But Wilkins was stronger and pushed her by the shoulders, back onto the table. This time facing each other. He was holding both her wrists behind her back with one hand and before she realized what he was doing, he was rearranging her skirts, trying to push them upwards.

"Stop it! You filthy pig!" she yelled at him.

"Be quiet" he sneered whilst his hands tried to part her legs roughly.

"No! Stop!" she screamed "What are you doing!"

"Taking what should have been mine long ago you whore!" Wilkins hissed as he got busy loosening up his breeches.

Eliza tried to scream some more but he was holding her and using one hand to shut her mouth. He was stronger but she bit his hand as hard as she could. He growled in pain and in bursting anger he grabbed her throat to press her completely on the table. Her back pressing hard against the wood as her head was almost but smacked upon it.

"This time there is no Colonel Tavington to save you… Besides, there is nothing he can do since you are not his wife…"

A hard thud came from somewhere around her.  
Suddenly, without realizing what happened, Eliza felt his hand loosen grip on her throat immediately and Wilkins fell to the ground.

"She is my fiancé, and I am your superior" a cold voice came from behind Wilkins. Eliza, who was still gasping for air on the table, managed to turn her head to see that the Colonel was pointing his gun at Wilkins head. His eyes showing the deepest hate she had ever seen.

"William" she gasped. This pulled him out of his hateful thoughts and brought him back to Eliza.

Colonel Tavington quickly pulled her up and held her close against his muscular chest. Eliza wasn't even crying, she was still focused on everything which happened around her. Two sergeants came in to take Wilkins away. The Colonel ordered for him to be taken prisoner without having to see a doctor for his hand.

But before the Colonel had seen what happened and how she got his gun, Eliza was already pointing it at Wilkins's head.

"I am sorry, but this ends here and today" she said in an icy voice. One could have sworn she learned from the best.

His eyes widened in shock. He knew she was strong and tough, and yes she had killed before but this time she wouldn't get away with it… did she realize this?

"Eliza, my love" he said as he slowly strolled towards her "Lower the gun, he will get his punishment, but if you kill an officer of the Crown you will be hanged".

She didn't say anything, just stared at Wilkins coldly. He needed to die. He had tried to get with her twice, this time almost succeeding. How many more women would follow to subordinate to this man's sick and twisted mind? He was responsible for the homes of militia men being burned for he had sold his fellow countrymen out.

"Eliza… give me the gun. You are not like him" she heard Tavington say.

"Agreed" she whispered after a long pause.

She brought the gun down from his head, over his chest, down to his stomach, lowering it to his hips… And then she pulled the trigger. On his groin.

Wilkins screamed in pain, falling to the ground as the blood immediately seeped through his breeches.

Then she slowly placed the gun on the table next to her and left the tent, leaving the other men to stare after her as if they saw water burn. Her face was motionless as she slowly made her way to her own tent. Wilkins would ever try anything like this again.

* * *

"Remind me to never force myself upon you. You have good aim…" he said as he entered her tent. She was sitting on her cot calmly, too calmly for someone who just saved the world from James Wilkin's offspring.

She looked up to him and smiled a little nervously. "I… I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me… well… no… I mean… I know what came over me but..."

"Do not fret my dear" he said as he walked over to her and sat himself down next to her "I shall make sure there are no repercussions. Now… more importantly: are you feeling alright?" he asked as he protectively took her face in his hands to turn her face. She met his eyes with hers and did actually sense a feeling of safety coming over her.

"I am well, just a little shaken up about what happened and… I'm sorry if I caused you trouble…it's just… that man… he is… he must be…" she muttered

The Colonel smirked and pulled her on his lap to hug her tightly against her

"Sssh, I understand. Let us speak of it no more. You've done society a great favor" he chuckled as he nuzzled against her hair. "But there is one thing we must discuss Eliza... His actions made me realize how unsafe you are as long as you are a rebel's daughter in my camp. Tomorrow we go to Cowpens and I cannot keep you here any longer. You are not a prisoner, you're not safe and you must be with your family…"

"No William! Don't send me away!" she interrupted him as she turned around and grabbed both his upper arms with her little hands.

"I am not sending you away Eliza, I will come for you after this war" he said as he cupped her face in his hands and spoke to her lips, nearly touching them with his own. "But for now you must be with your family. You will be safe there and if I keep you here any longer they might not welcome you back. Your aunt knows and your younger brother saw us together"

Her mouth opened and her eyes widened in surprise "You knew he was there? That night on the plantation? But… Then why didn't you…"

"I didn't come for them Eliza, I came for you, I had no intention to harm your siblings" he answered her as her smile grew wider with every word he spoke.

But then she realized what the situation with her family was like "My family might not welcome me back" she said as she brought her eyes to the ground "Especially if they know about us. And then how do you plan to come for me after the war if they do not accept our relationship?".

He stayed quiet for a little while. Truth was he already had everything worked out, now he just needed to tell Eliza about his plan.

"Come with me" he said as he helped her up and reached out his hands to her.

"Where to?" she asked suspiciously as she slowly placed her hand in his.

"To the church. To get married" he simply said.

"Now?"

"Yes… now" he replied.

AN: sooooo tell me if you want them to get married and if yes: should I write an explicit chapter about the wedding night or just continue with the battle of Cowpens? Whatever you want ladies! ;-)


	26. Hot sweaty steamy beastly love

**AN: Sorry this took me so long, I really have a hard time writing these kind of chapters…  
**

* * *

_Then marry him. Don't be a coward like I was Eliza. You will regret it._

She remembered her aunt's words as she followed the Colonel several yards until they reached a small wooden house, a long distance away from the edge of the camp. The Colonel opened up the door and let her go first. The house had two floors and seemed more like a small hunter's lodge. Inside Eliza found a minister who nodded slightly in order to greet her. There was a fireplace, a small table and some comfortable chairs. The Colonel followed her in, closed the door and turned her around to face him.

"Eliza" he spoke as he held both her hands in his "I promised you that we would spend the rest of our lives together here in the Colonies. But I cannot promise that I will still have a life after tomorrow's battle"

"But William…"

"No, please don't interrupt…, for once" he chuckled "I want to marry you now so I will have something to come back for, something to fight for. Are you willing to marry me here and now? I will understand if you say no because you'd want a decent ceremony with our families there and a beautiful dress and cake…"

Eliza smiled brightly at him "I don't care about that William… I want to marry you now" she said as she snaked her arms around his neck and pressed her lips on his. He held onto her waist with both hands as he deepened the kiss. They both forgot about the minister's presence until he coughed in disapproval.

Tavington smirked as he let go of her. "Shall we my dear?" he said as he took her hand and lead her towards the minister. Eliza just smiled. For now she would try not to think about tomorrow's battle and enjoy what they had here and now.  
The minister went through all the formalities while the bride and groom just stared each other in the eyes intensely. Waiting for the good part.

"Do you, William Edward Tavington, take Elizabeth Christina Susannah Martin, to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"I do" Tavington answered as Eliza's face lit up even more.

"Do you, Elizabeth Christina Susannah Martin, take William Edward Tavington to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"I do" she answered the minister as Tavington placed a small golden ring on her finger, next to her engagement ring.

Her words were quiet, she was nervous but excited at the same time. She was anxious for what was to come after this wedding. Not just because of her family, although that played a big part, but also because of what was expected in the wedding night. She knew some, she wasn't daft nor a teenager, but she never actually practiced anything like that. And she never had any motherly advice on this topic for she had never been married before. The thought of tomorrow's battle made her nervous also but she tried hard not to think about that. She would focus on this one night that she would have with her husbands and pray that there would be many, many more.  
Suddenly Tavington was kissing here, which made her realize that she missed the minister saying that they were now husband and wife and he could kiss the bride. Everything just seemed so unreal.  
As he was kissing her deeply, the minister made his way out without them even noticing.

Suddenly he turned and picked her up in his arms to carry her upstairs, bridal style.

She giggled "William, what are you doing?"

"I'm carrying you upstairs" he answered her as he kissed her head "It's a ritual, we must respect this".

As he walked up the small wooden stairs she nuzzled against his chest. When they entered the room she saw how beautifully decorated the small but cozy room was. There was a large four poster best which took up most of the space. A fire was burning in the fireplace and around the room several candles lit it romantically.  
Next to the fire was a big tub and it was steaming… Before she could think on it, he put her down on her feet and kissed her passionately. Even though Eliza was nervous about what was to come, she felt completely safe with him, he wouldn't hurt her, she knew this.

"I love you, my beautiful wife" he whispered against her lips "When I first met you… I never could have dreamed for this, but I did hope for it" he told her in a whisper.

She let out a small giggle as he loosened up the laces of her dress. "You were mean to me when we first met, remember?" she playfully reminded him.

He chuckled "I remember, but it was only because I couldn't handle the feeling of attraction I had towards you". She smiled at him as he said those words. She remembered feeling the same attraction and the confusion about this particular man. And she also disliked him in the beginninf, just a little.

As her dress fell to the ground he led her towards the bath tub. "I thought maybe you'd first like a bath" he said as he kneeled down to take off her shoes. He got up and placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to slide off her underdress.

She quickly brought her hands up to stop his action. "But, you can't look while I take the bath!" she gasped.

He smiled at her as he caressed her cheek "My love, we are husband and wife now, there is nothing holding us back from… spending the night as we wish to spend it" he tried to explain. "What did you think would happen?" he asked when he saw the confused and slightly frightened look on her face.

"I… I don't know…" she stumbled. "I just never have…"

"Hush, I know" he said as he pulled her into his warm embrace "I won't hurt you, and I will do nothing you do not wish for. If you tell me to stop, I will stop" he said as he inhaled the intoxicating smell of her hair. She leaned into his chest and felt safe with him, her husband.

Oh God, what had he just promised to do. He wouldn't be able to stop himself, he had longed for her since he took her to his camp. And the bath would have to wait also, there was no way he could restrain himself from a naked Eliza in a bath tub. She had pestered him in his dreams at night and been the main thing on his mind during the day. Eliza brought her hands up and slowly took his waistcoat off. It fell on the floor and she took his hand to guide him towards one of the chairs where she helped him out of his boots.  
He looked her over as she took his boots off. She was beautiful, perfect in every way. When she was done he pulled her into his lap and claimed her lips once more. She moaned softly as a warm sensation made its way through her lower stomach. Tavington loosened up her braid and combed her hair with his fingers as he continued to kiss her. Her right hand was resting on his cheek as her left arm snaked around his neck. He could feel her soft breasts pressing against his chest and it made his arousal all the more intense.

Her hand lowered itself down on his chest as she started pulling his shirt from his breeches. He had grown even harder under her touch. The waiting was pure torture but he knew he needed to be gentle with her, at least this night and for now.  
Slowly he lifted her up and as she wrapped her legs around his waist, he brought them over to the bed. Eliza grabbed his shirt and removed it over his head. She blushed as she gazed at his body, he really was handsome. The last time she had seen him this naked, was weeks ago when she stormed into his tent to tell him off… And even then she had a hard time not looking at him.  
Eliza got onto the bed as the Colonel was still standing next to it. She brought her arms down from his neck towards his breeches. She didn't look at him as she fumbled to open them up. He smiled and let her have her way. As soon as she had his breeches opened up, she quickly turned her gaze and pulled back her hands.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"I… I've never seen a naked man… I mean… not completely…naked…" she stammered.

A smile crept to his face "I'm your husband now Eliza… do you want to see me?"

She thought about it for a second, then smiled at him and nodded. She did want to be with him even though she didn't exactly know what people did in their wedding night. He took her small hands and placed them on his hips. Then Eliza slowly slid down his breeches and suddenly all her shyness disappeared. The lower half of his body was just as gorgeous as the upper part. Even though she had never seen a completely naked man, she was sure there wasn't a man on earth more handsome than her husband.  
She smiled and looked him over as she crawled back onto the bed. He followed her onto the bed, climbing on top of her, placing kisses in her neck, on her jaw, her lips, cheeks, everywhere.

"Now I wish to see you also" he said as his hand slid down the sleeves of her dress which until then covered her shoulders. He started kissing her bare shoulders and Eliza moaned as the sensation of his lips put her bare skin on fire. Slowly he pulled down her underdress some more, making her gasp as his lips kissed her breasts and his hand softly squeezed her nipple. He rolled himself on his side so he could watch her, lying next to him, half naked. He wanted to see her completely so he slowly moved her dress further down, watching her face for any sign of discomfort. But there wasn't any. She felt sheltered in his presence, she felt like this was the way it ought to be. She wanted to be naked with him and discover all the nightly secrets of wedded pairs.

As he took of her underdress completely she leaned up a bit on her elbows. She saw how his lustful gaze went over her slim and supple body. Resting on her breasts, her flat stomach, her slim legs and curvy hips. He was silent for a while and Eliza got nervous again.

"Is something wrong?" she nervously asked him.

A grin lit his face "No… you're just amazingly beautiful… and I'm trying to be gentle… but it's hard" he said as he took a deep breath and drew her nearer to him, leaning into her. As he kissed her, his hands ran over her body, cupped her breasts, caressed her stomach, went down to her upper legs and pushed them apart slightly so he could feel her inner thighs. The hot feeling in her lower stomach started to raise her body temperature significantly. She shivered and moaned as his finger only just touched her labia.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"A little" she answered, breathing heavily.

Without saying a word he climbed on top of her and pulled the covers over them. Eliza opened up her legs a bit, one leg at each of his sides, so he could lean into her. She knew immediately that she enjoyed the feeling of lying beneath him, his muscular arm around her shoulders as his chest was pressing on her breasts, teasing her nipples with his rock hard chest. He claimed her lips, sucking and teasing them as she trailed path's over his chest and back with her small hands. She quickly found herself grinding against his hips, feeling his hard manhood pressing against her stomach. He had to gather all the self-control in the world not to just thrust himself inside her. As he had one arm wrapped around her shoulders, he used his other hand to feel her body. Her curves, her stomach, her legs… He caressed her legs and tickled the inside of it. The warm sensation in her lower stomach kept growing stronger and stronger. His right hand took her upper leg and pushed it upward a bit more. His manhood was pressing against her vagina.

"What will happen now?" she asked in a soft voice as she looked at him with big eyes.

"Now… I'm going to go inside you"

"Where?"

"Here…" he said as he slowly pushed one finger inside her.

She gasped for air as her vaginal muscles tightened around his fingers. He enjoyed her soft moaning as he slowly moved his finger in and out of her, she was very moist. "But… it won't fit! Will it hurt?" she whispered through half closed eyes.

"No…" he said "It won't hurt…" he whispered in her ear as he pulled his finger out and placed his penis on the entrance of her vagina. He only brought the top bit of his penis inside her "See… it fits perfectly" he said as he noticed how moist her arousal had made her. Tavington was tortured by the hotness of her flesh when it tightened around the top bit of his penis. He wondered how much longer he could do this. What madness had driven him to go slow with her, he wouldn't be able to restrain himself any longer.  
"Allow me to go a little deeper my love". When she didn't answer he started to push forward with fast movements. In the meantime he continued to kiss her face, her neck and her lips. Eliza enjoyed the feeling of her husband inside her. She felt like there were a million trapped butterflies inside her stomach. She started to copy his movements, moving rhythmically with his hips.  
No longer able to hold himself back, Tavington pushed himself forward and in one swift moved he was completely inside her. He growled in relieve, by God he had waited so long for this. If he would not have covered her mouth with his, she would have screamed. When he pierced her hymen, a fierce and burning pain took over and she dug her nails deep into his shoulders. He growled as his movements quickened. He had hurt her! He said it wouldn't hurt but he lied! She would not forgive him! She.. she…

She suddenly noticed a new and delicious feeling overcoming her. The pain had disappeared as quickly as it came. Now there was only pleasure as Tavington continued to move in and out of her with slow movements. She loved the beastly sounds he made as he quickened his pace once more. She moaned and the feelings inside her became more intense every minute. She didn't understand what happened, it was like she was floating, higher and higher! It was incredible!  
She didn't want him to stop en continued to move with him, moaning in delight. Suddenly her body felt like it was torn apart by a thousand falling stars exploding inside her. "Oh!" she moaned almost wildly as she closed her eyes and claimed his lips once more.

As she climaxed, her body tightened around his hard manhood and he increased his speed. Moving in and out of her wildly as he roughly kissed her. She deepened the kiss by entering his mouth with her tongue. He used his right arm to lift her leg up to his chest and she could feel how he entered her even deeper. She moaned and suddenly he slowed his movements, growled and let out a deep breath as she could feel his warm seed inside her.

Then he collapsed on top of her. They were completely out of breath.

"That… was… amazing…" Eliza gasped, still panting heavily. "Can we do it again!" she asked enthusiastically.

Without mockery he laughed at his young bride's newest hobby . He brought himself up on one elbow and looked her in the eyes "Soon… be patient my love… we have all night" he said as he gently caressed her arm.  
He loved the fact that she had enjoyed their love making as much as he did. He couldn't remember ever being with a woman as passionate as his Eliza. Even though she was shy at first he could sense her arousal every time he touched her. And the mischievous look in her eyes showed that she knew exactly what kind of effect she had on him.  
She was resting with her head on his chest as he held her and played with her hair. After a few minutes she got up, crawled over him and landed on the other side next to the bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked in surprise.

She stood up and walked over to the tub "Taking a bath, I smell poorly" she replied as she smiled at him with a naughty look in her eyes.

He eyed her top to bottom as she made her way to the tub and put her hair up with some pins. Without any shame she just stood there, completely naked in front of him. "Not so shy anymore are we?" he asked as she got up to sit on the side of the bed and eyed her lustfully.

She chuckled "Well, you've seen it all so there is no need to be shy… Want to join me?" she asked as she lowered herself into the lukewarm water. After all this time the water was far from hot anymore but it was still nice enough to relax in.

"You need not ask me twice" he replied as he quickly got up and joined her in the bath tub. As he relaxed in the water he pulled her towards him so she sat in his lap with her back facing him. He took the sponge and soap and slowly started to rub some soap on the soft skin of her back. Then he did the same with her arms, she giggled when he tickled her arm pits. Then he brought the sponge down to her stomach as he used his left hand to massage her breast. She moaned as he squeezed her nipple and placed kisses in her neck. Eliza could feel his recharged manhood pressing hard against her bottom. She put her hands on the side of the tub as started grinding against it. Tavington had let go of the sponge and was teasing the inside of her legs. She was about to beg him to take her again when he gently squeezed her clitoris. He brought his mouth close to her ear and teased it with his tongue.

"Do you want me to fuck you again?" he seductively whispered in her ear.

"Yes!" she called out as she gasped for air

"Beg for it then…" he demanded as he continued to stimulate her.

"Please… William please…" she managed to say as her head was spinning like mad. What was he doing to her, she wasn't herself at all. All she could think about was having him inside her again. Thrusting, entering, forcefully almost, she wanted him so badly words couldn't describe her needs.  
Suddenly she felt him entering her from behind as she still sat in his lap. This was strange, she didn't know that was possible. She only knew about people doing 'this' in their beds…

"Should we not… go to the bed?" she asked insecurely.

This made him smile. She was so cute. "We don't have to do that. There are different ways of giving each other pleasure" he explained as he continued to move in and out of her. Oh God she could feel him deep inside her and it made her moan softly as he held on to her waist, moving her up and down on his lap.  
After a while she could feel him climaxing inside her again. He leaned back and let his head rest against the edge of the tub as he pulled her back against his warm chest.

"I love you Eliza" he said after some time of being quiet and just relaxing in each other's embrace.

"And I you, William" she replied after which she turned around and started to use the sponge and soap on him.

"You're dirty" she stated.

"Indeed I am" he said with an evil smirk on his face. The double meaning of his words didn't go unnoticed to Eliza as she blushed a little.

"We should get out, the water is getting cold" she said in a determined voice as she stood up from the water.

Colonel Tavington followed her out of the water and grabbed a towel. Eliza wanted to pick one also but he stopped her.

"No no, allow me" he said in a smooth voice as he started to slowly rub the towel on her body to dry her. He took his time, feeling up every part of her body as she giggled.

"I am not sure if this is getting me any dryer Colonel, if anything I'm pretty sure I feel more wet… Well certain body parts anyway" she said as a naughty smile appeared on her face.

He stood up and turned to stand next to her, rubbing her bottom and suddenly he slapped it lightly.

"Ow! What was that for?" she asked as she pouted her lip and stared deep into his eyes with a mischievous look.

He grinned down at her as he pressed her hips into his groin "That was for… the cheeky comment you just made. As your husband it is my duty to punish you for vulgar behavior like that" he said as he claimed her lips once more "But I think misses Tavington… that you quite enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"I did Colonel sir" she said as she looked at him lustfully and brought her hand down to his groin.

"By God woman, are you even satiable?" he said as he moved them towards the bed again.

"Let's find out" she answered.

And that's pretty much how they spend the night until Eliza insisted he would get some sleep. She didn't want him to be shattered in the morning when the battle at Cowpens would take place. They slept peacefully until Eliza had to wake him up around 1 o'clock because she had a bad dream. But she didn't have a bad dream, it was just an excuse to get him to hold her again and kiss her. From one thing came another and one hour later they were panting heavily as they fell back into the pillows. Two hours later he had woken her up to make love to her again. She didn't mind, this was way better than sleep. Who needs sleep anyway.

In the morning they woke up in each other's arm.

"You're doing it again aren't you?" she asked with closed eyes as her head and left arm were resting on his chest.

"What am I doing?" he asked in a fake innocent voice.

"Staring at me while I'm asleep".

He chuckled "Yes indeed I am… Good morning misses Tavington" he said as he kissed her head "Would you like some breakfast?"

**AN: Wooooooooooooooow this chapter is way longer than it was supposed to be and it took me way longer also. Because I actually had a really hard time writing it and I felt sexual arousal whilst writing it so yeah… needed a break then!  
Lol. Can't believe I just wrote that. O well, I don't like to use backspace.  
Besides, don't pretend you didn't feel anything when you read this! I won't believe you ;-)**


	27. The battle

**Hi there, Thank you for reviewing again! I wasn't actually planning on doing a battle scene. Simply because I am not very good at those (I think lol) ****. But now I changed my mind! I will do a small part of the battle scene between Benjamin and Tavington I think. Well… I will try… because I am not very good at it like I said. So no reviews about me writing a bad battle scene lol! :-D**

* * *

They both found that the next morning came way too quick. He had indeed made her breakfast after which it was unfortunately time to say goodbye. It was a fast but intense goodbye, the Colonel held Eliza tight around her waist and kissed her deeply. She made him promise to come back alive and he swore that he would come for her as soon as the war was over.  
As Colonel Tavington made his way to Cowpens, Eliza rode in the opposite direction towards the slave island where her aunt and siblings would most likely be. She felt strange, riding away from him, it felt unnatural. But he promised to come for her after the war. How would she ever explain this to her family? Well, she would start with her aunt…

Her younger brothers and sisters were thrilled to see her again and asked her a thousand questions. Only Nathan kept his distance, he said hello and smiled, but it wasn't a very welcoming smile. She wouldn't think about it too much but she suspected that Nathan saw them kiss the night at her aunt's plantation. And he was a bright kid, he probably figured something was wrong that night. Thankfully her aunt practically forced her to get some rest first. And so she did. For the first time in ages she sank into a restful sleep without nightmares. She dreamt about her family, sitting around a table in an unfamiliar home, her home. William was there and everything seemed perfectly normal. When she woke up hours later, she cursed the harsh light of day for its cruel reality.

"I see your awake" her aunt said, smiling down at her from her chair.

Eliza smiled slightly "How long have I been asleep for?" she asked.

"Almost 5 hours"

Eliza thought about all the things that could have happened in these five hours… Would the battle almost be over? Would her brother and father come back safe and would William still be alive? Her stomach was twisted in a thousand knots when she thought about his possible death.

_You promised me William Tavington! Curse you if you break that promise!_

"So… I noticed the ring on your finger… does this mean that…"

"Yes" Eliza answered, as she turned her head from the ceiling to face her aunt "I married him".

Aunt Charlotte smiled "I know this seems like a strange thing to ask but… did you not wish for us to be there?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course I did!" Eliza said as she quickly got up to sit on the cot "But aunt Charlotte… you advised me to marry him and…"

"But I didn't mean straight away my dear" her aunt interrupted her "I meant… sometime after the war, after an appropriate time of courting and such".

"But aunt Charlotte… we don't know how long that will take and if father would ever accept the engagement" Eliza sighed "besides… I was afraid William wouldn't survive the war. He still might not".

Her aunt exhaled and smiled "You're probably right. You could wait for ages if you'd have to wait for the end of the war and until Benjamin finally decides to give his blessing or not" her aunt said as she chuckled at the thoughts of Benjamin exploding when he would hear this. "O well, Anne and Gabriel didn't wait either".

"Anne and Gabe got married! Oh, I feel so ashamed I missed that" Eliza said as she turned her gaze to the floor in disappointment.

"That wasn't your fault dear, you were captivated remember?" her aunt said as she winked at her niece.

Eliza chuckled "Sort of. So what else is new?"

"Your father proposed to me…"

"About time! Congratulations!" Eliza happily said as she got up to hug her aunt.

"Yes, but we will wait until the war is over to start out new life" Charlotte wisely answered.

The two women chatted some more and time flew by.

* * *

Cornwallis' arrogance about the militia had indeed been his weak spot. After the militia and British soldiers fired a few shots at each other, most militia men fled the field in an attempt to reach the hill behind them. Benjamin Martin tried to hold the line but his men ran back nevertheless.  
Tavington had charged the field prematurely, wanting his cavalry to take the glory from the field.  
Cornwallis called for a bayonet charge, following the militia men over the hill. Sure he had taken the field, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to crush their spirits once and for all. He send his troops over the hill.

Unfortunately for the British troops, and for Tavington who shouldn't have charged in the first place, the American regulars were waiting for them to run into their trap behind the hill. And so they did. Colonel Tavington tried to stop the charge and called his men back but it was useless. Great blows were dealt to the British bayonets as well as to Tavington's light cavalry. Dragoons were blown off their horses one by one, like little domino bricks. After the first line of British had fallen, the militia charged into the remaining soldiers. Colonel Harry Burwell called for a bayonet charge also and the men ran into each other like wild cattle. Desperately trying to penetrate their opponent's body with their bayonet, knife, sword or gun. Leaving a blood bath in the process.

Benjamin had seen Tavington already. High on his horse. He remembered what Gabriel and Nathan had told him. About that night when he rescued his children from Charlotte's plantation. He knew something was up with Eliza when he brought her back home from Fort Carolina, she had changed. She was nervous but glowing at the same time. Well… whatever is was with this Colonel Tavington: it would end today.

Just when Benjamin saw Colonel Tavington again, fighting one of his militia men, Jean Villeneuve called out to him.

"COLONEL!" the major called out to him "The line is crumbling!"

Benjamin looked over at Tavington. Dear Lord, how he wanted to go for that man… But he was of a lesser concern right now. He needed to keep his men grouped up and nor retreating. He ran towards them and ripped the American flag out of their hands, running back towards the broken house on top of the hill and back into the British army. Colonel Harry Burwell followed his example.

"March forward men!" he called out to his men.

Cornwallis started to get nervous and commanded his artillery to concentrate on the middle. Suddenly he wasn't too sure about winning this battle anymore. Throats were cut, limps chopped off and bullets fired as Cornwallis started to realize that the loss of his men grew exponentially. General O'Hara still had high hopes for breaking into their flank but Cornwallis sternly told him that he was dreaming. The Lord General could see clearly that the battle was over, and he would not win this time. This loss would be a great turning point.

And at the almost end of this battle, is when it happened. Benjamin charged at Tavington, using his future American flag to knock Colonel Tavington off his horse. He succeeded. Tavington fell on the ground and shortly after that he had a bullet planted in his upper left arm thanks to Benjamin Martin. They charged at each other, Benjamin defending himself with his tomahawk and knife as Tavington tried to get to him with his sword. Colonel Tavington wasn't sure what he would do when he got the upper hand. Surely he couldn't kill the man… this was her father but… he wouldn't let Benjamin kill him either.  
Suddenly Benjamin felt Tavington's sword slice his arm and he gasped in pain. They continued their fight, Benjamin launching himself at Tavingon like a mad man, trying to strike him wherever this was possible. The Colonel brought Benjamin to his knees and knocked away his tomahawk after which he picked up a hand pistol from the ground. As Benjamin realized that he didn't have the upper hand no longer, he could see his fellow countrymen striding forward, carrying their flags in victory.

"Kill me before the war is over will you?" Tavington sneered which brought Benjamin's attention back to his own fight.

"It appears… You are _not_ the better man"

**AN: I have decided that I am NOT letting you decide how this ends hahaha lol! :-P I've had en ending in mind since I began this story and so I will continue on the road which I laid out in my head lol. All you can do now... is wait wether or not I will be merciful ;-)**


	28. One foot in front of the other foot

**AN: I have changed the historical facts of this war slightly. Only when it comes to the timing and when it ended. I will explain my reasons for this when the story is finished.**  
**Also I will try to write as fast as I can because I understand how cruelly I ended chapter 27 :-P lol! As we gamers say: owned!  
**

* * *

The battle of Cowpens had indeed been a great turning point for the British troops. General O'Hara practically begged the lord General Cornwallis to call for surrender. After some more stubbornness the lord General finally surrendered to General Washington. Cornwallis refused to attend the surrender ceremony, he was feeling unwell and send O'Hara instead. In no time South Carolina was cleared from the redcoats.

Benjamin and Charlotte got married and lived on her plantation for the time being. Of course Eliza and all her siblings came with them except for Gabriel and Anne who were staying in Pembroke in order to reconstruct the town and with this also their own house. In the upcoming weeks everyone would be extremely busy reconstructing their houses and villages. As was the Martin family, working on a house of their own with the help of friends.

Eliza had been emotionally absent during all these month's after the war. She thought that William would have come for her by now… But he had not… And every day that he did not come felt like a day where the chance of his death became greater and greater. She dared not ask her father to go and ask around who died on the British side or even if he had seen her husband on at the battlefield. She feared his reaction after she had told him that she married the Colonel and was now waiting for him to take her away.

"How could you?" he whispered "You… You are _my_ child".

This was his only reaction. After this he had hardly spoken a word to her for weeks. Aunt Charlotte tried to sooth things but without success. He did not feel anger with his daughter, he was just incredibly disappointed and hurt. Eliza wished that he got angry so they would at least communicate. But this cold and distant attitude he had around her these days was more than she could bear.

This is the reaction she had expected from Gabriel also but the war had changed him, calmed him down if anything.

"I have to admit little sister…"

"I'm older than you" Eliza frowned as she interrupted Gabriel.

"Nevertheless… I was angry at first when I expected this was going on. Nathan told me what he saw that night at aunt Charlotte's plantation… I wanted to kill him Eliza. And when I reached Pembroke and saw the destruction he had brought, I went after him".

Gabriel paused for a second to study Eliza's face. Guilt and anxiety were showing.

"But… he had the upper hand, I was just a militia soldier and he was a well-trained Colonel, I didn't stand a chance and yet… he didn't kill me. I never wondered why because I knew it was because of you. But you see…" Gabriel paused and took in a deep breath "I don't think I would have shown the same mercy in his situation… So I cannot be angry at him. And I trust you know your heart as I know mine" he said as he glanced over at Anne for a second and smiled absently.

"Gabe, have you seen him at Cowpens?" Eliza asked in a worried voice.

"No I have not, I'm sorry dear sister. I cannot tell you if he is still alive" Gabriel answered her as he placed a small kiss on her forehead.

* * *

About six weeks after this conversation with her brother, she finally decided to gather up her courage and speak with her father. Benjamin had started talking to her again the last couple of days. Pretending like nothing had ever happened and they should just continue as they were. It gave her hope that perhaps he was willing to help her out, to find out if William Tavington was still alive or not.  
It was already nighttime when she entered the living room of their new home which was built exactly on the same spot where their old house had been. The fields were still intact so it was no more than logic to build their new plantation house on the same grounds.

"Father?" she asked in a nervous voice as she entered the room and saw that her aunt was also present. Charlotte smiled at her niece and Eliza smiled back.

"Eliza" he stated as he took off his glasses and put away the book he was reading. He was sitting in one of his rocking chairs which after many attempts finally seemed to not break down.

Eliza sat herself down and exhaled slowly. "I want to talk to you about Colonel Tavington" she said.

Her father said nothing but instead nodded. "Go on" he quietly said. Eliza was surprised by his reaction, he didn't get angry or refused to talk about it. Instead he nodded in agreement. She relaxed a bit more and sat back in her chair.

"I know that you feel that I've done our family wrong. Because I married the Colonel behind your back and that he is the enemy. But… when he took me… I did not plan to fall in love with him, nor he with me. But it happened…, I wished many times that it did not, but it did" she said as she changed her gaze back and forward between her father and the carpet on the floor.

She sighed and paused for a second.

"I love him. And I must know if he is still alive father" she stated determinedly as she looked him in the eyes suddenly.

Benjamin shot up from his chair and walked over to the fire place where he rubbed his temples to symbolize his frustration. "You love _that _man? How can you love that man Eliza!" he raised his voice at his daughter. Charlotte eyed the two, not yet ready to interfere in their… what would be a fight.

"It's very simple. He makes me smile, I make him laugh. He has been kind and shown he was genuinely interested in what goes on inside of me. He cares for me and has shown this on many occasions! Bad things could have happened to me when I was at the British camp, but he prevented each and every one of them!"

"He should not have taken you there in the first place! He is brutal! Incapable of showing mercy and you know this! You know the destruction he has brought to the Colonies!" Benjamin yelled in frustration.

"That is unfair! You know just as well as I do that the Colonial militia has been at least just as cruel as the British, if not a lot worse! You know the stories of loyalist's women ravished, children murdered and random targeting of loyalist civilians!" she yelled back at him.

Benjamin glared at his daughter dangerously. Even though he knew she was right. It didn't matter. In this case... it was personal.

"Please father!" Eliza begged through tear filled eyes. "Every day I do not know if he is still alive… if he is still coming for me, is a day when I feel like my heart will break out of my chest and shatter in a million pieces while I just stand there and watch" she was crying by now "I feel powerless… I need to know!"

"If he would still be alive, he would have let you know by now, or he would have come. He probably isn't alive anymore Eliza".

"Do you know something that I don't?" she asked in a terrified voice.

Her father kept silent and thought about the battle of Cowpens.

"Do you Benjamin?" Charlotte asked softly.

"No. Now let it go" her father stated in a cold and threatening voice.

"Let it go?" she asked in dismay as she raised her eyebrows "Just like that? Let the man I love… _go_?"

"The man you love is a redcoat! The leader of the Green Dragoons and the most brutal soldier these Colonies have ever fought against!"

"Well that's just rich coming from you!" Eliza said, loathing dripping of every word she spoke.

"And what is it, that you are insinuating?" Benjamin asked as he narrowed his eyes at his daughter.

"Fort Wildernis..." she said and regretted it immediately after she did.

Benjamin's eyes filled themselves with hurt and bewilderment.

"There is not… one day… that I do not… beg the Lord for his forgiveness" he slowly whispered.

"I know" Eliza quietly said "But why does Colonel Tavington not deserve the same forgiveness? Do you not think he has regrets about his brutal actions? Because I know he does... I have seen it myself. Why does he not deserve the same second chance that you got?"

"This is personal Eliza! That man tried to take my children away from me! And look at yourself! He succeeded in doing so!" Her father raised his voice once more and strolled around the room wildly.

"I fell in love! I cannot simply control my thoughts and feelings as if I am some cold block of stone, steady and unshakable. William… I mean… Colonel Tavington…" she stammered

"Enough!" her father interrupted her.

"Benjamin please…" Charlotte tried to help her niece.

"No! We shall speak of this no longer" Benjamin stated sternly. "I… I will try to find out what I can Eliza. And after that we will continue our lives as they were… as if this never happened" Benjamin stated.

Eliza nodded in agreement. She got what she came for, her father would use his connections to see if Colonel Tavington was still alive. She left the room the go to bed. As if she would get any sleep tonight.

* * *

Her father had kept his promise and asked around about the possible death of 'The Butcher'. His fellow militia men, nor the American regulars he knew, were able to tell him anything. He even managed to check the death list of the British officers. Tavington's name wasn't on there. Benjamin Martin honestly hoped that it would be. So he could leave all of this behind and this man would never come for his daughter. He sighed. All they could do was wait.

And after another six weeks there was still no word of William. Eliza sat on the porch at night, staring into the endless emptiness of the sky, feeling as if she was looking into her very own soul. Alone and empty.  
It had been almost three months after the end of the war now. Three month's after their wedding and their one and only night together.

_Where are you William? _She thought in despair.

* * *

**AN: Sorry that this chapter had no Colonel Tavington in it! Of course… we do not yet know if he is still alive ;-) *evil laughter echoing through my dungeons of despair***

**I just feel this chapter is a necessary filler because we must know what happened with our Martin family after the war and the reactions of her family members to her marriage.**


	29. If it hadn't been for love

"Remember this dress Eliza?" Charlotte asked as she gave her niece a witty smile.

Eliza giggled at her aunt "I do" she replied slightly embarrassed.

In an attempt to cheer her niece up, Charlotte had a new dress made for her. It was the exact same dress which Eliza had worn almost 6 months ago, on her way to the Garrick's plantation for a birthday party. The beautiful white dress was completely soiled after saving a certain colonel's life. Benjamin and Eliza tried to keep it a secret but of course Charlotte found out at one point when they were talking about Colonel Tavington… again.

"Thank you aunt, for everything that you've done for me the last couple of months. I do not know what I would have done without you" she sighed.

"Now, you just try and have fun okay?" she told her niece as she looked her over "You look absolutely gorgeous Eliza".

"I will" Eliza said as she put on a fake smile. She didn't want to lie to her aunt but the truth was: she would leave the house in search for Colonel Tavington. As she had done several times the last couple of weeks. Her family didn't know and thought she was slightly getting over him. Accepting the fact that he wasn't coming for her anymore. But Eliza had never accepted this and as long as she didn't receive the message of his death, she would never stop looking for him. And she definitely didn't believe that he might have tricked her and never planned on coming for her, as her father suggested once after which she stormed out of the room and didn't speak to him for a week.

"I will stay the night at the Garrick's plantation so don't worry about me" Eliza said whilst she climbed on her horse.

"Then we shall see you tomorrow. And remember what I said: try and enjoy yourself dear" her aunt once more reassured her.

Eliza smiled "I will do my best aunt. Untill tomorrow then" she said as she rode off into the direction of the Garricks plantation which conveniently was on her way to Yorktown.

Yorktown is where she would find General Cornwallis on a diplomatic mission. Surely he would be able to tell her something more about the Colonel? She hoped the General would receive her… with her people winning the war and everything… It was a good thing she left early in the morning, she would be able to reach Yorktown before nightfall and then worry about her sleeping arrangements.

* * *

"My Lord General… There is a uhm… a certain young lady here to see you… you might remember her my lord" General O'Hara uncomfortably announced her presence.

General Cornwallis raised his eyebrows as he stopped eating his dinner "Who is she?"

O'Hara coughed softly "It is miss Eliza Martin sir".

"Of course I remember miss Martin! By God man, the woman saved my life! Let her in already!" Cornwallis commanded his general as he quickly wiped his mouth clean with his napkin.

"Miss Martin! How lovely to see you again!" Cornwallis greeted her heartily as he walked towards her with open arms in order to give her a welcome hug.

Eliza smiled as she remembered how unconventional this man was, especially for a British General. "Mister Cornwallis, it is indeed lovely to see you safe and healthy" she replied as she welcomed his embrace.

"Let me start by giving you my sincerest… uhm… condolences I think? On losing this war and…"

"O don't you worry about that" he cut her off "I'm already over that, and the sight of you alive and well has brightened my day already! Please be seated" he said as he appointed her a chair opposite from his.

"So, I take it you've not come to show your sympathy about me losing this war" he said as he grinned at her "So tell me my child, what brings you here? And I must say you look lovely by the way".

Eliza smiled at the lord General "Indeed I have not mister Cornwallis… I have come to find out if you or anyone else knows anything about Colonel Tavington. You see… and I will be forward with you… The night before Cowpens we got married and he promised to come for me after the war. But… until this day he is yet to come and I didn't receive any letters from him either. So you will understand, I am quite worried".

The lord general widened his eyes in surprised "I must say I am quite surprised about this Eliza… In all honesty, I knew there was something going on between you two but you had no courting time and no… no engagement announcement and yet you two just went along and got married in secret" he chuckled whilst he spoke these words. In his opinion these two made a perfect match in both temper, disobedience and not giving a damn about society.

Eliza smiled "I know it's a… funny match" she giggled.

"And until this day you have not heard from him?" he asked.

"No I have not"

Cornwallis sighed and knitted his eyebrows together in a frown "Well, as far as I know he isn't dead. I would have known and I spoke to him several days after the battle at Cowpens".

Eliza sighed in relieve. At least she knew for sure he didn't die at Cowpens then.

"But that is all I can tell you Eliza my dear. After Cowpens he left, I have no idea where to for it is not a secret that the Colonel and I are no close friends. Although I would trust him with my life, we just simply do not get along" the general explained.

"I know" Eliza said as she gave the general a slight grin, thinking of all the scolding William had received in the few weeks she had spent around him at camp and at Fort Carolina.

"I am so sorry that I cannot help you my dear, I have no idea how to reach him either. After the war he resigned and left. I do know he was planning on making amends with your family. But I have no idea what his exact plan was or where he was going to".

"Thank you general, at least you have reassured me that my husband is still alive"

The general smiled at her "It's quite funny to hear you say that… the word husband I mean... I never expected a woman to be able to live with Colonel William Tavington"

She laughed at his comment "Yes… I know what you mean. He is not an easy man. Nor am I an easy woman luckily".

"So… how is your dear father" Cornwallis asked her, the irony was quite clear in his voice. Eliza chuckled.

"He is quite well thank you. I want you to know that I did not know about him being this Ghost who was taunting you."

"Oh don't you fret! I already knew that my dear. But I suspect that he isn't too pleased about your choice of husband?"

"Indeed he is not, but I am a grown woman and…"

"Don't give a damn?"

Eliza's eyes shot wide open at his choice of words as she started laughing.

"Indeed!" she replied.

"Well, cheers to that my dear" he said as he raised his glass and offered her one also.

Eliza stayed the night at Cornwallis' estate in Yorktown. They chatted for a long time and remembered why they used to be so fond of one another. He reminded her of her grandfather, unconventional and way too forward for the likes of society and protocol. She was pretty much the same only a younger version. She went to bed in time, ready to make the entire journey again in the morning, all the way back to her home.

_Well at least it wasn't for nothing, I know now that he is still alive_she thought.

* * *

She did indeed leave early the next morning to get home on time. She didn't want to worry her parents or worse: make them suspicious. Not that this was the first time she went looking or asking around for Colonel Tavington. But it was the first time she had traveled such a long distance and stayed the night in order to retrieve some information on him. And also the first time she actually got somewhere: she now knew he was still alive. It both reassured her and at the same time it did not. Because if he was still alive… where was he? Did he break his promise to her? He wouldn't! ... Would he?

This was all that occupied her mind as she rode back to her home. She reached the Martin plantation long before dinner time since she only stopped once or twice for a short break. Her legs were killing her as she got of the horse and slowly strolled towards the porch of their plantation. She took her yellow cape off, it never was very cold in South Carolina, even in November it was an average of 17 degrees during the day.

As she walked onto the porch she thought about her next step. What was she to do now that she knew he was still alive? How could she find out where he was?

She quietly walked into the house, passed the living room towards the stairs, not wanting to get noticed after such a long journey with slightly disappointed news.

"Eliza" she heard her father call from the living room "Can you come in here for a second?"

She cringed._ Busted!_

She laid her cloak over the arm rest of the stairs as she slowly paced towards the living room, trying to think of a good excuse why she had done what she did. Then again: looking for her husband… that was her business and none of anyone else's concern! She thought this as she brought her head up, ready to face her father's wrath once more.

Eliza was not a weak minded person. Though when she entered the living room she swore she was hallucinating. She couldn't believe her eyes as she gasped at the person standing opposite from her father's chair.

"William…"

**AN: well dear people… I think only one more chapter and then 2 epilogues? I don't know if such a thing is possible but rules are made to be broken by bad asses like me! Lol!  
Unless of course someone has an awesome idea to prolong this story or perhaps an idea for a sequel? Because I really feel that this story is coming to an end ;-) **


	30. Ultimatum

"William…" she muttered.

He didn't think twice about it. In four strides he made his way across the room where Eliza was still standing in the doorway, her hand covering her mouth in shock. He stood still to gaze into her wide green eyes for a moment. Then he pulled her into his arms where he held her tight for what seemed a moment where time stood still, it was just them and no one else existed. He held her tightly in his arms as he nuzzled himself into her hair, he sighed, still the same enchanting smell.

"Eliza…, my love" he whispered with his eyes still closed.

Hearing him speak and say her name made her realize this was not a dream, he was really standing here. He was really holding her tightly against his chest and he came for her! He finally came for her… Without making a sound a few tears fell from her eyes. She was thrilled he was there again, keeping her safe in his arms like he used to, she sighed thinking of all those times she stayed in his arms and the months she had missed this. She inhaled his male scent deeply and exhaled slowly into his neck.

"My love…, my beautiful wife…" he sighed into her light brown wavy hair "I've come for you, as I promised"

His soft words of his promise, broke her out of the enchantment. She quickly brought her fist up, took a step back and started hammering his rock hard chest with her little fists. Hence, it didn't hurt at all, but he was definitely surprised. Why was she so angry? What had he done wrong?

"Where were you all this time!" she cried out as he tried to grab her wrist to stop her from hurting herself "I waited for over four months! Four months William! And not one word from you! You… you… bastard!"

He chuckled when he noticed she never lost her temper. "Now now, my little fiery one, there's no need to get physical… _yet…" _he replied playfully as he pulled her into his arms again once he managed to seize her wrists. "There there…" he said as he patted her back gently.

His patronizing last two words made her furious again. She pushed him away, took a step back and stared at him angrily. "A bloody letter was too much to ask William?"

"I've send you a dozen letters Eliza" he said in a more serious voice, studying her angry features "You know where I've been the last four month's…"

Eliza gave him a confused look "No… I did not…" she broke of her sentence as she realized her father had never left the room and sat quietly in the arm chair, eyeing the couple. She looked over at him and stared directly into his eyes with a meaningful look.

"I never received any letters…"

* * *

_**Flashback: Two hours before the colonel and Eliza were reunited:**_

"Father! Father" Nathan and Samuel ran into the barn, calling for their dad.

"A rider's approaching the house father! From the other side of the corn field!"

Their father put down the equipment he was working with. "We weren't expecting anyone were we?"

His two boys shook their heads "No… but… I think…" Nathan said as he stammered a little "That it is the man who kissed Eliza that night…"

Benjamin froze for a moment. He had expected this but… so soon? He had hoped that the Colonel would still be working on his new home in North Carolina, like he had written to Eliza in his letters. Letters that Benjamin never handed to his daughter. He hoped she would forget him eventually if she just believed that he wouldn't come for her anymore, that she would meet a new man and that they could get her current marriage to be declared invalid.

He sighed "Very well, I'll be there in a few minutes" he finally said. At this, his boys ran back to the house.

"Mister Martin, there is gentleman to see you" the servant said.

"I know Joseph, but it's hardly a gentleman" Benjamin said as he frowned.

"I've placed him in the living room for now with some tea. Should I tell him to wait for you?" Joseph said.

"No that's alright, I'll go and see him at once" Benjamin replied as he strolled towards the living room.

As he entered the living room he could see the Colonel sitting in one of his chairs. Even this infuriated Benjamin. Who did this man think he was to enter his home like this? Taking away what was his, ripping apart his family. Because that's what would happen if Eliza would go with him, they would fall apart, no longer united as a close family ought to be.  
The Colonel wasn't wearing his uniform nor was his hair neatly queued. It was tight in a loose ponytail and he wore regular clothing: black breeches, boots, a white shirt and a dark green vest.

"Mister Martin, I am William Tav…" He tried to say as he got up to shake hands.

"I know who you are Colonel" Benjamin rudely cut him off. "So take your seat once more and tell me why you have come, although I think I can guess why" Benjamin said as he sat down in a chair himself.

Tavington fell silent for a while. He needed to control his own bad temper for he wasn't used to be spoken to this bluntly and rude.

"When your…_ country… _and mine were still at war with one another, your daughter saved my life. I thanked her by… well… I came to your house, burned it down, tried to hang your oldest son and took your daughter hostage".

William paused for a moment as he thought about how to continue next. Subtlety was not his quality. Benjamin so far could appreciate the forwardness in which the Colonel admitted to his actions. Therefore he remained silent in order to listen to the rest of his story.

"I forced your daughter to work as a medic for we were short on medical staff. She turned out to be very gifted and a well-educated young doctor. Several incidents occurred, not always directly involving her, and we grew closer. Against my better judgment I found myself deeply in love with her one day".

He was quiet for a little while, he whole time he had been looking directly into mister Martin's eyes. Now he gazed at his boots for a few seconds and looked back up.

"I asked her to marry me after the war, after I had made amends and received your blessing for this marriage. She accepted me, though I never dared to dream that she would have me".

_That makes two of us _Benjamin thought with grudge.

"With the battle at Cowpens coming up, we decided to get married immediately, I felt she needed to go back to her family for the time being. I couldn't keep her any longer, she wasn't prisoner of war as you and I both know".

"No… indeed she was not" Benjamin hissed in anger.

William ignored his angry whisper. "To make a long story short mister Martin, I do not regret marrying her sooner than I planned. Although I sincerely wished we could have gotten your blessing back then. I promised to come for her after the war so this is my motive for coming here. Eliza has perhaps told you that I was building a house and a stud-farm in North Carolina. It is now finished and I wish to take her home with me".

At these last words, something inside Benjamin Martin snapped. "The hell you will! Over my dead body!" he raised his voice as he got up from his chair to stride across the room.

"I have not given my consent for this marriage, nor will I ever!" Benjamin said as he tried to calm himself down. He hardly ever lost his temper and he did not plan to lower himself to this man's level.

"I am sorry you feel this way mister Martin, though I understand your motives I still insist on making amends. You will see your daughter is very happy to be with me. Also, my rank has made me a wealthy man, I was able to build a beautiful home not too far from here and all your daughter's needs will be seen to".

_And I mean 'all' of them _he added in his mind as he thought of the one night where he has been surprised by her passion and need for intimacy. Though this was not the right time to drift off on thoughts like this so he pulled himself together.

"Benjamin, is everything alright?" Charlotte asked as she entered the room. "Oh… Colonel Tavington… I did not expect to find you here".

Tavington gave her a courteous nod. He was surprised she did not expect him there. "Madam, you must be miss Charlotte Selton, Eliza's aunt".

"It is misses Martin these days, Eliza's father and I got married a while ago" she said as she smiled slightly at him. She immediately had a good feeling about this man and understood perfectly well why Eliza was attracted to him. Very handsome was an understatement.

"My congratulations on your marriage." Tavington replied.

Charlotte smiled "And you have my congratulations also Colonel. It is nice to actually meet you under different circumstances" she said as she thought about the night he entered her plantation and scared the living daylight out of her. He did not seem so bad now, a little intimidating though but Charlotte wasn't one to be intimidated easily.  
She meant what she said. What she knew from Eliza was that this man was absolutely ruthless when it came to her safety and happiness. He would literally do everything to ensure these two.

Benjamin suddenly scoffed. "Well" he said "I think we have finished conversing Colonel Tavington. When Eliza comes back this afternoon, it is up to her which of us she chooses" he said in a deep voice after which he turned around and left the living room.

Tavington sighed. So mister Martin was mindset on letting his daughter choose between them. He didn't want that on his conscious, he couldn't rip her away from her family… Well, like he said: it was up to her now. His stomach twisted at the idea of her possible choice of family.

"Would you like something stronger than tea Colonel?" Charlotte asked in a kind voice as she took a glass and poured some brandy.

"I'd like that yes" he sighed as he sat back in the chair once more.

"He will turn around, I will talk with him" she said as she handed him the glass and took some tea herself. She wasn't too fond of alcohol and she had a baby on the way.

Tavington raised his head to look at Charlotte "Madam, I raided your plantation and was planning to set the place on fire, surely you know this and yet you consent to this marriage?" he asked in surprise.

Charlotte chuckled lightly "Well, plantations can be rebuild, I mean: look around. I am just happy nothing happened to Gabriel when you took him. I would have never forgiven you that but I guess Eliza wouldn't have either".

"As soon as I found out the boy was her brother, I planned to have him released. But not there and then for I couldn't afford to show weakness in front of my men".

"I understand" Charlotte replied.

They sat in silence for a while. The Colonel sipping from his brandy and Charlotte thinking about all the things her niece had shared with her about her husband. She did truly believe that this Colonel would make a good match. Both had a temper, were witty and they made each other laugh all the time. And most importantly to Charlotte: he did everything to keep her safe and could obviously provide for her.

"Eliza has told me a lot about you and what happened between you two at camp. Some anecdotes were quite… well let's say that some were quite remarkable and funny" Charlotte said as she chuckled.

"Yes I can imagine" he replied as he grinned, thinking of one particular anecdote "One time, I will never forgive myself, I put her life in danger by saying something horrid. I scared her and she ran away. She fell in the middle of a heavy rainstorm. I found her in time luckily. She was feverish and hardly conscious for 3 days. I visited her every day, practically begging for her to wake up and forgive me. When she finally did she immediately started arguing with me" he said as he remembered the way she was when she woke up from her feverish dreams. "I told her I had never met a woman who speaks her mind so baldly. She put her hands in her waist and told me I should get used quick for she had a lot to say. That's when I knew I never wanted to be apart from her again".

Charlotte laughed as he told her several other stories she had not heard yet. She definitely recognized Eliza in them: not backing down just because she was talking to a high ranking officer who had her life in his hands.

After some more chatting she decided to leave the Colonel and talk some more with Benjamin. But he was pig-headed and not willing to give in. He joined the Colonel in the living room again, waiting for Eliza's arrival and ready to put up an ultimatum: her family, or this butcher. They sat in silence, both waiting for her return.

_**End of Flashback  
**_

* * *

_**Back to reality, where Eliza and William have just been reunited:**_

"I never received any letters…" Eliza said.

"I never gave them to you Eliza" her father answered. "I hoped that he wouldn't come so soon… and that in the mean time you would meet someone else".

Charlotte had stood in the doorway and shook her head at Benjamin. She did not agree with these actions and she had no notion of the letters that William had send Eliza.

"Right…" Eliza said in a slow sarcastic voice "Because that's exactly the kind of woman I am…"

"He is not part of our family Eliza, he has done our family wrong" Benjamin tried to explain his actions but Eliza baldly cut him off.

"He wants to make amends! You have fought on different sides of the war, I understand your grudge but do you not think you have not killed and slaughtered at least as many men as he did?"

"That is not the point.." Benjamin sighed "He is taking my daughter away… I do not want _my _daughter to be married to a redcoat who personally attacked my family".

"So you won't give your consent?" she forwardly asked him.

"No I will not. As long as you are married to this man, as long as you will live with him in one house, you are not welcome here" He said as Charlotte gasped at his words.

"Very well" Eliza said as she took a step back to take William's hand. "Then from this day one, we are no longer family" she stated determinedly.

"Eliza" her father tried to plead with her "It does not have to be this way. You have been married for a few hours, we can have to marriage declared invalid if you've not consummated it!"

They remained silent and Benjamin's head ached as he thought of the meaning of this particular silence.

"Have you…"

"No" Colonel Tavington interrupted her answer "We have not consummated our marriage, it could indeed be declared invalid if Eliza chooses not to lose her family" he said as he gave his wife a meaningful stare. She understood immediately what he was doing. He wanted to save her from a life without her family, for the second time in her life. But he was her family now, and she could not bear to lose him again nor to live another day without him. Not now that she finally had him back.

"I will not have this marriage declared invalid" she spoke clearly to her father "You will always be welcome at our home father, and I ask you not to keep my siblings or loving aunt away from me. I will take my leave now, to _consummate_ this marriage as much as we wish".

**AN: So the reason why I changed the time when the war ended is of course because I do not wish to keep Eliza and Tavy apart for years and years. Also nobody likes war so let's make more love and less war. Done! :-P**


	31. Love the way you lie

**AN: Noooooo… it's not over yet girls! A few more chapters and an epilogue, well 2 epilogues actually.  
**

* * *

"I'm sorry about all of this Eliza" William quietly whispered into her hair.

"mmm" she murmured.

She had almost fallen asleep against his chest with his left arm around her shoulders inside the comfortable carriage they were riding in. After the fight with her father, Eliza had packed a couple of her belongings and said goodbye to her siblings. She promised to visit them within a month and told them they were always welcome at their home in North Carolina. According to William there was enough room to house two families so she was curious what kind of a house he had built for them.  
Aunt Charlotte promised she would explain to her siblings what had happened, she had a honest and objective view on the situation and Eliza wanted to be truthful with her family. There was no need to be mysterious about her marriage or argument with their father.

She yawned as she got up to sit straight and look him in the eyes.

"All the stress has exhausted you" he stated.

She scoffed. "I'm not a porcelain doll. I'm just tired because of the long journey".

"Journey?" He asked in confusion.

She gazed at him in silence and raised her eyebrows.

"Oops" she said as she bit her lip.

"What journey Eliza?" he asked suspiciously as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well, when I didn't hear from you… I started asking around… But when that did not get me any information I started looking for you. I have been to Charleston and today I came back from Yorktown where Cornwallis was held up".

"YORKTOWN! All by yourself? You travel to Yorktown on your own? Are you mad!" he raised his voice at her in anger.

"Settle down, I'm a big girl and you're hurting my ears with your yelling".

He glared at her in anger "We _will _talk about this later" he slowly said in a deep and dangerous voice.

She stared at him with big confused eyes and suddenly started laughing as she covered her mouth to suppress her giggles.

He cocked his eyebrow "May I ask what's so funny?"

"You!" she said as she tried to stop laughing but failed miserably "It's just… funny when you're angry with me… We just got back together after four months and you actually want to argue with me, that is just hilarious William" she said as she kissed his cheek.

He growled as he roughly grabbed her upper arms and pulled her back into him, thinking about the actual things he wanted to do with her instead of arguing. His lips literally crushed down on hers in anger as she tried to gasp for air in between his fierce kissing. Once out of breath, he protectively put his arms around her as he whispered in her ear.

"For future references; do not taunt me with irrational actions like that for I do not wish to lose you ever again".

"Yes sir Colonel Tavington" she replied in a mocking voice as if they were captive and captor again.

"Promise me!" he demanded.

"I promise" she answered him more seriously as she nuzzled back into his chest and closed her eyes.

He smiled as he looked outside the carriage. In all honesty, he was quite flattered she had crossed half the colonies in order to find some information on him. But no, he definitely did not like the idea of his beautiful wife traveling all alone to Charleston and Yorktown. She probably did not tell her father. Benjamin told him she was at a neighbor's party, the Garrick's plantation that she also wanted to visit when she first met him. He looked over her dress when he realized she was wearing the same dress that she wore that very day, it had made an impression because it was so simple and yet so beautiful.  
And he soiled it. And it would be ruined again if it wouldn't go off fast enough once they were home and she had seen the house. He sighed as he thought of the four long months which he spend without her. Before she came into his life he was perfectly… well… content. Not happy, definitely not happy. Well not content either actually. He couldn't quite remember how he could have been happy before he met her and he was quite sure he wasn't. He would never let her go again.

"What happened at Cowpens William?" Eliza's question brought him back to reality. "My father won't speak of it".

He exhaled slowly "Cowpens was a turning point in the war but I suspect you know this already. At the end of the battle your father saw me, he went after me and we fought. I was stronger and knocked him out. That is all that was to it" he simply explained.

"You were stronger?" she cocked her eyebrow at him.

"I mean to say, I had the upper hand because I am a better soldier than him"

Eliza sniffed "Maybe you just had better weapons" she replied.

"No… I'm pretty sure I am a better soldier, sorry to burst your bubble my dear" he replied with a straight face.

"You, my good sir, are getting too big for your own boots" she replied with a mocking smile on her face "You were always a bit cocky and I see you've not changed"

"Good" he replied "That's what attracted you to me in the first place isn't it? My right amount of self-confidence".

She giggled at his pestering, she could never grow tired of this "No William… there were other things" she answered as she nuzzled some more into his chest.

"O really? By all means, enlighten me about these other things"

"Perhaps another time" she said as she smiled and closed her eyes again. "But I definitely appreciated your half-naked appearance" she said as she remembered the day she walked in on him in anger and he wasn't properly dressed.

He smiled down at her "Get some sleep love" he spoke into her soft hair. They would be riding all night and the next morning they would finally reach their new home in North Carolina. William was curious about Eliza's thoughts on the house he had built. He was sure she would like it even though it was a lot bigger than what she was used to.

* * *

"So… What do you think?" he asked as he took her hand and helped her out of the carriage.

As she looked up to gaze at the building her mouth dropped wide open and she inhaled sharply.  
She did not know what to say for a moment. The building was big and white and way too luxurious, almost twice as big as aunt Charlotte's house on the Santee.

"William… Oh my god… it's beautiful…."

"You do not think that it is too much?"

"I... it's too grand, but… It's beautiful and I love it!"

"Wait until you are inside, only a few rooms are decorated because I wanted you to do the rest in your own house. It will make you feel at home"

She smiled brightly as she heard him talk about her own house. It really was their own house, her house also. A real place all to themselves. She walked closer to him and snaked her arms around her necks as she pressed soft kisses on his lips.

"I love it so much, thank you William"

"Shall I show you around the fields and the stables or do you wish for a tour through the house first?".

She blushed slightly as she reached for his vest and pulled him closer again "Maybe we could do that later… perhaps you could first show me where we sleep?"

"But you have slept almost the entire journey my dear, are you still tired?" he asked in a teasing manner.

She smirked up at him, a lustful look in her eyes "No… but I've not seen you for over four months and…I think we really need to…"

Before she could even finish her sentence he had her lifted up in his arms, walking in fast strides towards the house.  
Once inside, he immediately continued his way to the master bedroom. She did get a look at it when they were inside, it was big and absolutely gorgeous. She decided to study the details later as William's lips claimed hers once more. With increasing passion they kissed each other deeply, fidgeting at their cloths which were off in no time. Lost somewhere on the floor, they would find them later. The sensation of their naked bodies reunited was indescribable, after waiting for over four long months it felt as if they would burst out of their skins if they wouldn't unite soon. He put his arm around her waist and lifted her up.

"I've missed you terribly William" she whispered against his lips as she wrapped her bare legs around his waist and started moving against him, teasingly.

"And I you" he replied, squeezing and tapping her bottom lightly.

He quickly brought them over to the bed. As she fell down with him on top of her, she noticed her new bed was very comfortable and large. But quickly she was distracted again by the man who's hands cupped her breasts as he sucked on her nipple. She moaned under his warm breath, continually moving against his hard member.  
His hands were everywhere, caressing her legs, her center, going inside her where she felt tight and hot. She was sure she would explode under his touch, instinctively her nails dug into his back as she circled his tongue with her own.

Without any warning he pushed forward and growled in relieve as he felt her tighten around his cock, moist and very much heated. Eliza shrieked when he entered her so suddenly but he couldn't hold back any longer. Her sounds made him realize she might still experience some pain.

"Did I hurt you?" he quietly asked as he continued to move in her.

"Yeah but… don't stop… please. " she begged. She moved faster, bringing her hands down to his hips and pushing him back into her. A strange thought popped up into her head: did she really just enjoy the pain she experienced when he entered her roughly with his full length?

_I guess I did… _she thought as she smirked and lustfully sucked on his lips.

He started moving slowly inside of her, her hips grinding willingly against his as she let her hands trail all over his bare back. She wanted to feel everything, his chest, his back, his beautiful shoulders, hips. Her hands explored everything.

_He looks like one of those Greek god statues which decorate royal mansions, but I'm pretty sure he is a lot bigger… Wait… Why am I thinking this? _  
_By God I can't think straight anymore, this feel so good, I don't want him to stop, how can this feel so good_?

He continued to move inside of her slowly, bringing her legs up to enter her even deeper. She moaned as she enjoyed how gentle he was, whispering sweet things in her ear. How he had missed her, how he loved her, how he would be taking her every single day they'd spend together from now on, whenever he wanted to and where ever he wanted to.  
William wrapped his strong arms around her smaller form and turned them around on the bed. She was now moving on top of him, her breasts pressing on his chest. His hands moved to her waist as he showed her how to move with his rhythm.  
He smirked, she was quick learner and a willing student indeed. She wasn't shy at all, not that he ever thought she was, with her temper and all. But he did make her blush several times in the past and of course she was a virgin when they married so he expected her to be a lot more… self-conscious and would let him take control. But instead he was pleasantly surprised that she couldn't keep her hands off him and eager to learn everything about the new pleasures they were privileged to have as a married couple.

After a while, William moved to sit up with her astride on his lap. He moved faster and faster until he could hold back no longer and climaxed inside her. Their heads fell back into the pillows as they tried to catch their breath.

He smiled and pulled her close to him. His fingers trailing over her upper arms, shoulders and neckline.

"Well" she said in a teasing manner "There is no going back now Colonel, we have now officially consummated our marriage".

He laughed softly at her wise remark "I wished for you to be free in your choice Eliza, I never wanted you to lose your father"

"I know" she sighed softly "But things are the way that they are. And we need to be grateful for what we have here and now" she replied as she smiled up at him "I never thought I'd find something like this William. Can you imagine I was once going to settle for a life without love… an arranged marriage between two people who didn't feel anything for one another? Damn that was foolish of me".

He wrapped his other arm around her also and kissed her head "Well, I hope you understand why I lied to your father about the consummation of our marriage"

She moved her head slightly to look him in the eye and a naughty smirk appeared on her face.

"You lied? Nooooo …. So… so this means that… out marriage _was_ consummated?" she said as she pretended to be as shocked as ever before. But she couldn't hide the playful smile on her face.

"Be silent you little minx" he replied as he pulled her close and kissed her.

"It's just…" she spoke with a mischievous grin on her face "So long ago… I can hardly remember…"

He growled and in one swift move he had her turned on her stomach with him pressing hard against her back "Then I shall make you remember…" he whispered in her ear as he lifted up her hips.

**AN: I think this chapter was... maybe a little bit of a filler? Or not since we need to witness their passionate love making after all those month's lol!**


	32. Happily ever after and all that jazz

**AN: Sorry it has been a while (a whole week!). The ugly truth is: I've been suffering a writer's block on how to end this story.  
But my professor once advised me: if you don't know how to start your writing... just start it :-) ideas will eventually come and they did as I wrote this! lol.  
**

* * *

In the weeks that passed, their stud-farm proved to be a great success. William Tavington was excellent with horses and his connections made him a successful horse trader. A lot of rich and powerful people like barons, dukes or earls would order horses from his farm. Either for racing, hunting or breeding. But also the local farmers would come to their farm to buy or trade. Their horses were the absolute best in the area and Eliza was happy to see her husband adjust so quickly. At first she was afraid he might miss the exciting life in the army, but he showed no sign that he did.

She had written to her father every week about their life and how she missed them. Surprisingly, he wrote her back and kept her updated on how he was doing and how her siblings were. Though he never spoke about coming to visit her, his letters were of a kind nature which gave her hope that one day he would cross this border and she would see him again.

William had kept his promise: Eliza was free to work as a doctor and most of her days she was very busy doing so. Though whenever she could, she would help William with his horses and he taught her a lot. He had given Eliza her own horse. The horse was completely black and she named it Midnight.  
Luckily one morning, she had nothing to do so she decided to find William and take Midnight for a ride.

When she entered the stables she called out his name but no one answered.

He wasn't in the house or on the fields so he must be in the stables she figured.

_Oh well,_ she thought_, I'll just get Midnight ready first and then look for William or else I'll go by myself._

As she entered Midnight's stable she softly spoke to him. "Hello boy, how are you this fine morning? I hope you slept better than I did, then again you don't have a husband to keep you awake" she giggled as she whispered to the horse and thought about last night.

Eliza had put the reins on Midnight and her saddle. She had a saddle which was meant for ladies but William had provided her with a normal saddle also, knowing her…

Just as she bend forward a bit to strap the saddle, she felt a strong arm around her waist which roughly pulled her to a corner. She wanted to scream for William but a strong male hand covered her mouth as she struggled against his grip.

"Sshhhhh" she heard somewhere whisper in her ear "Don't be afraid, it's only me". It was him.

"Will you be quiet?" William asked her at which she nodded in reply. "Good" he said as he slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

"William!" she hissed "What the hell was that for?!"

He chuckled as he still held her tight against his chest with her back facing him. "I wanted to surprise you…. I have something for you"

"And what's that?" she asked in an annoyed voice, still angry that he scared her like he did.

"Pleasure…"

He slowly moved his hand down her skirts and pulled them up a bit so his hand could slowly move upwards over her stockings.

"William... have you gone mad?… People will hear…" she objected.

"That's why you need to be quiet love" he said in a deep voice as he moved further up and slid his hands between her legs.

"Can you do that darling? Be very… very… quiet?" he asked with his seductive voice.

She moaned softly as she felt his cold hand slid between her thighs and circle her sensitive spot. "Ye… yes" she managed to say.

He pressed several soft kisses down her neck as he continued to stimulate her center, sometimes dipping his finger inside her tight entrance. She moaned quietly and pressed herself against him fiercely. She could feel him growing hard against her back and wondered if he planned on taking her in the stables. He better not! Not with all the workers around…  
But her thoughts were quickly erased as he moved his cold hand faster between her hot flesh. With his right hand around her leg, rubbing her warm flesh, he brought his left hand upwards into her dress to feel her breasts. He continued to kiss and suck on her neck as his hand squeezed her full breasts. She tried to suppress her moaning as her hands held on to his hips tightly. He was grinding against her and she wanted him inside of her. They made love this morning before he got out of bed, but she needed him again, oh Lord how she needed him inside of her. She practically begged him for it but he ignored her pleads. He brought her higher and higher and she could feel herself almost climaxing.  
As soon as he made her climax she could feel his grip loosen on her and she returned back to earth. Her knees were feeling weak and her head was still spinning as she tried to catch her breath.

He let go off her and took a few steps away "I should get back to work now" he said as he smirked at her evilly.

"But… won't you… don't you want to…?" she stammered.

"What? Here?" he pretended to be shocked by her proposal. "My dear, we cannot, what if one of the stable boys would walk in on us?" he replied in a sarcastic voice.

She stared at him with pleading eyes and slightly pouted her lips.

"But then again" he continued with a mischievous grin on his face "They probably hear_ your_ screams in every room in the house".

She gasped and did not know what to say for two seconds. "I hate you!" she said as she stamped her foot desperately.

He grinned at her "That's not what you said last night" he winked "Or the night before on the dinner table, or last week on the porch" he said as he slowly turned around and walked away, leaving her to blush about all the things they did outside of the bedroom where they should have been at the time.

"Oh and by the way " he said as he turned back around "A letter has arrived, your aunt will be visiting us next week with your two younger sisters".

Her anger disappeared instantly. She would finally see aunt Charlotte, Margaret and Susan again!

* * *

_One week later:_

He stood in the doorway as he watched Eliza play with her younger sisters on the floor of the living room. They had just arrived. She had told him a lot about her siblings which led him to believe they were very attached to her. Witnessing this sight, it confirmed his thoughts about her younger sisters looking up to Eliza.  
He smiled. This woman, who he had come to known as a strong and stubborn creature, softened around those who were dear to her. Especially around her siblings. They were young and fragile and she was like a second mother to them. He wondered what Eliza would be like as a mother… He could imagine her being overprotective but also having a hard time being cross with them when needed. It made him chuckle and he wondered if they would have a child any time soon. They probably would… the way they were behaving since they got back together…

"William!" Eliza enthusiastically called out to her husband when she saw him standing in the doorway."Come and meet my sisters" she said as she got up, walked over to him and took him by the hand to lead him towards her younger sisters.

He smiled down at them "You must be Margaret and... you must be Susan".

"Nice to meet you mister Tavington" Margaret said as she took his hand and shook it lightly. Susan just smiled at him with a soft 'hello'. She was a lot shyer than her older sisters. A lot younger of course so one couldn't blame her. And everything was so new around here.

"The pleasure is all mine ladies" he replied with a playful smile after which he turned to aunt Charlotte "It's wonderful to see you again so soon misses Martin. Eliza was thrilled to hear you three were coming to visit for a couple of days, please stay as long as you wish"

"Thank you Colonel" aunt Charlotte replied graciously.

"I just came from the fields so excuse my attire, I thought perhaps I could show you around the farm and the horses after you've had something to drink and eat?" he offered Charlotte.

"Everything has been taken care of Colonel, your staff has been very welcoming with tea and sandwiches" she replied as she gave Eliza a nod of approval. "So I would follow you now if you wish to show me around and perhaps Eliza could stay with Margaret and Susan?" she asked as she turned to Eliza.

"Great idea" Eliza replied with a big smile on her face. She was very curious what her aunt would think about their plantation and beautiful horses.

As William and Charlotte made their way around the plantation, stables and horses, he tried to start a conversation about Eliza's father. He learned that Benjamin wasn't yet ready to visit them but Charlotte could see some changes in her husband. He wasn't angry about Eliza's choice any longer and he was always happy when a letter arrived. Charlotte also believed that Benjamin was becoming less and less hypocritical about his own sins in this war and that in time he would come to terms with Colonel William Tavington being a part of his family now. William was relieved to hear this, he did not want Eliza to lose her father for good. She needed him still and he could see it in her eyes when they spoke of it. Well, when _he_ spoke of it that was, because whenever he brought it up, she would turn her gaze, sigh and reply that it was no use to weep on matters of the past. But he knew better, she was just trying to be tough when deep inside she was hurt. Charlotte agreed, this was exactly the way she had come to know her niece. Always wanting to be strong, rely only on herself even when she had people to be strong for her.

"Pardon my forwardness Colonel, but I can see you make her very happy and this pleases me" Charlotte said as she walked alongside him.

"That was the idea of this marriage" he said as he gave her a taunting smile.

Charlotte chuckled mildly. "I never got to thank you for keeping her save at the British camp. She told me some of the incidents which occurred and it has become quite clear to me that you were always present to keep my niece from harm. For this I am very grateful".

"I have brought her into some of these incidents. They were my own fault and I won't forget that. I will make sure no harm will come to her misses Martin. Eliza is…" he remained silent for a while "Eliza is the most important person in my life and I will go to any means necessary to make her happy".

Charlotte, who was relieved to hear these words from such a fierce and tough man, smiled "I knew this already Colonel. I guess that's why it's so easy for me to accept Eliza's choice, it was a wise decision to follow her heart".

"I sincerely hope that the rest of her family will feel that way one day".

"Well…" Charlotte hesitatingly said "I know the girls find it terribly romantic that, as they call it, 'the enemy Colonel' has kidnapped and married their older sister who now loves this man deeply. And Gabriel seems to be happy for her, he is less judgmental than his younger brothers. Thomas and Nathan have a problem with 'Redcoats' but they will come around when they grow up and see what the world is really like. Samuel and William are too young to really understand or care about it. And Benjamin… Oh well, like I said before: he is slowly getting used to the idea and after I am done with him, he will have also come around". She finished her sentence with a mischievous smile on her face.

"I see where my charming wife got some of her trades from" the Colonel replied with a smirk.

Charlotte laughed at this remark as they continued to talk and walk around the plantation.

When they walked back into the house William and Charlotte heard music and laughter from the parlor. They looked at each other and without saying a word they quietly strolled towards the entrance where they stood still and watched the scene. Eliza was playing the violin and Margaret was accompanying her on the piano.

"I did not know she played the violin" he softly said.

Charlotte smiled a little uncomfortably "She is full of surprises".

"Did you not know either then?" he asked in surprise.

"I know she used to but…, the violin is not a very lady like instrument so… I thought… perhaps…"

They both fell quiet as the notes started to quicken their pace. She was playing La Folia by Arcangelo Corelli and she played it extremely well. Not a note out of place or tune.  
When she was done, both William and Charlotte held their breath and when the girls began a new sontata, they took a few steps back. William placed a hand on Charlotte's back and turned her slightly around.

"I will show you the quarters where you and the girls will be sleeping" he quietly said "I assumed you would like some privacy and the girls would want to sleep in the same room".

"That is very thoughtful of you Colonel" she said as he lead the way to their quarters.

* * *

That night Eliza sat in front of her dressing table, combing her longer hair. She was wearing a white dressing gown existing off a white corset, stockings and chamber coat _(like Christine from the Phantom of the Opera, in the mirror scene when the phantom comes to take her)._  
William slowly opened up the door and smiled when he looked at her sitting there. He slowly walked over to her and placed the violin in front of her on the dressing table as he leaned down to kiss her neck. She moaned softly.

"You never told me you played the violin" he whispered in her ear. "Play something for me".

She shivered under his touch, his warm lips on her bare flesh almost but burned her. She sighed in agony when he turned away, walked over to the bed and sat down. Waiting for her to pick up the instrument he brought and play something for him.  
And so she did. She picked it up, tuned it and played Mozart's violin concerto No.3 G major.

He watched her closely whilst she played. Her face showing intense concentration on her notes. Her body was slowly moving with the emotional waves of the music she played. He closed his eyes for a minute to only listen to the wonderful sounds. Because when he opened them up again he had a hard time keeping his eyes off the way she looked tonight. Innocence. That was the only word he could think of when he looked her over. Innocence in a very dangerous way.  
When he first met her, he had felt it. And so had she.  
Somewhere in the middle of the violin concert, she had closed her eyes also, drifting away on the notes. When the tunes came to an end she opened her eyes and looked at him. Looking for any sign of disapproval. Not because of her play, she knew all her lessons and practicing had paid off. But because she never told him she played the violin, it was hardly considered proper.

"I'm amazed" he said after a few moments of silence. "You must have practiced a lot".

His words comforted her. He did not mind, he liked it even.

"I did. It's what kept me sane when my father locked me away" she said with a meek smile on her face as she put the violin down.

He sat up on the four poster and pulled her towards him, onto his lap, wrapping his arm around her slim waist..

"Now you are safe with me, and you'll never go to a dark place like that again" he said as he pressed her tightly against his chest and stroke her cheeks.

She smiled. She felt it… she really was safe with him.

"And the violin will still be useful to keep you sane when I or… let's say, one of our future children drives you insane" he said as he smirked.

"About that…" she said as she brought her face close to his ear, her voice being a mere whisper.

"I'm pregnant".

_**The End.**_

There will probably be an epilogue eventhough i don't really like fanfiction with infants in them. Maybe I will when I write one :-P lol.


	33. The end, AN

Dear and lovely readers!

There will not be another epilogue. This is it.

I have no inspiration and I am satisfied with the ending of this story. This is it, so live with it :-P

I have started writing a fanfiction about Victor Creed (Sabretooth in X-men, played by Liev Schreiber).  
I am momentarily extremely busy so I won't upload it until I have a substantial amount of chapters finished. So if you're curious about this fanfiction and you might like X-men, put me on follow and expect a new story around Christmas time ;-)

The new story will be rated M, slightly romantic (in my own sadomasochistic way) and about an OC with Victor. Some other X-men characters will of course also be portrayed. Of course, if you have any ideas you'd like to see me write about in this new story, message me and your wish shall be my command!

Thank you all for your lovely comments over time and your support in any other way.

Thanks babes *heart* *kisses*

Nathalie.


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